AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 14, 2016) - Senior infielder T.J. Wyrebek (Bristol, Conn.) drove an RBI double into the gap in right center field in the bottom of the tenth inning, sending the Western New England University baseball team to a thrilling 6-5 walkoff victory over Trinity College this afternoon in non-conference action at Mickey Etherton Field.

With the win, Western New England improves to 5-0, its best start since achieving the same mark to open the 2010 campaign. Trinity drops to 1-3 with the loss.

The back-and-forth contest saw the Golden Bears take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, before the Bantams pulled ahead with single runs in the second, third and fourth.  Western New England tied the score in the fifth and reclaimed a two-run edge in the sixth, but Trinity forced extra innings with a late rally.

Senior shortstop Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass.) led the Golden Bears with a 3-for-5 effort out of the leadoff spot, driving in two runs to go with a stolen base and two runs scored. Senior outfielder Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) reached base four times with two walks and two singles, while freshman outfielder Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) and senior catcher Matt Calzone (Middlebury, Conn.) added two hits each.

Junior righthander Andrew Mulvey (Bristol, R.I.) came on in relief of freshman Sean Halligan (North Branford, Conn.) and turned in three shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five batters. Freshman Liam Davey (Cheshire, Conn.) earned the win after working a scoreless tenth for his first collegiate victory.

Sophomore Brendan Pierce (Hingham, Mass.) led the Trinity offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, two walks and two runs scored. Senior Scott Cullinane (East Greenwich, R.I.) and junior Richard Spencer (Madison, Conn.) chipped in with one hit and one RBI each for the Bantams.

Sophomore Anthony Egeln Jr. (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) got the start for Trinity and gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings of work, while senior Sam Jordan (Sherborn, Mass.) took the loss in relief.

Western New England scored in the first inning for the second consecutive game and third time this season, jumping out to a 2-0 lead as Marciano singled before coming around to score on an error, and junior infielder Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) later added an RBI groundout.

After falling behind 3-2 in the fourth, the Golden Bears pulled even in the fifth when Milne came through with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Marciano.

Western New England restored its two-run cushion the following inning with a two-out rally, as Calzone and sophomore Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) both singled before coming in to score on Marciano's clutch double into the gap in left center.
 
Trinity battled back, however, scoring once in the eighth inning and again in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Davey stranded a pair of Bantams on base in the top of the tenth, setting the stage for Wyrebek's heroics in the bottom half of the inning. After Rosenblatt reached on a fielder's choice, Wyrebek came on as a pinch hitter and belted a double to right center field, lifting the Golden Bears to their first walkoff victory of the spring.

Western New England will be off tomorrow, before returning to action on Wednesday against Clarkson at the Chain O'Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 AM.