Wheaton College Baseball Season Ends at Regionals

The second-seeded Wheaton College baseball team, ranked no.15 overall in the latest D3baseball.com, saw its season come to a close as the Lyons fell to fourth-seeded Western New England University, 8-3, on day three of the NCAA Division III New England Regional on Friday night at Harwich's Whitehouse Field.

The Lyons, who defeated eighth-seeded Daniel Webster (3-1) earlier in the day to remain in contention for the New England Regional title, posted its ninth-straight 30-win season this year with a 32-12 record and 11th overall in program history. Wheaton captured its 14th New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season crown in the 15-year history of the league and its 13th NEWMAC championship.

The Golden Bears (34-12) will take on first-seeded Southern Maine in an elimination game tomorrow at noon. The winner will play third-seeded Endicott College at 4 p.m. with the Gulls needing one win to claim the New England Regional championship. The if necessary game will be played on Sunday, May 19 at noon.

Western New England senior Mike Lospinuso earned the win (9-3) on seven-and-two-thirds innings pitched, 12 hits, two runs (all earned), two free passes and five strikeouts. Lospinuso threw 144 pitches in the contest including 107 for strikes (74-percent) coming off of a 48-pitch relief appearance a day earlier in three innings of work.

Wheaton starter Mike Gibbons was dealt the loss over three-plus innings, nine hits, two runs (one earned), zero walks and one punchout.

Walpole native Matt Lavanchy finished the game batting 3-for-5 with one RBI for Wheaton, while Justin Peluso posted the same line at the plate from the eighth spot in the lineup. 

 The Lyons fall to 19-8 all-time against Western New England in the all-time series dating back to 2001. Wheaton is now 3-2 overall in postseason play against the Golden Bears with its most recent victory coming in the 2012 New England Regional final, a 2-0 triumph.