United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Baseball - Bears Stun Wheaton in Opener; Settle for Split

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(3/24/07)--Chuck Arena’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth broke a 1-1 tie and Coast Guard held on to knock off Wheaton, ranked second nationally in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) preseason poll, 2-1 in the opener before the Lyons beat the Bears 7-2 in the nightcap of the season opening New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.

In the opener Jacob Pitchford (2-0), the reigning NEWMAC Pitcher of the Week, worked 6 2/3 innings allowing just four hits while walking five and striking out four and Pete Schofield, picked up his first career save, as came on with runners on first and second and got Jake Yagjian to ground out to second base to end the game, as the Bears snapped Wheaton’s 13-game NEWMAC winning streak. The Lyons won the final 10 regular season games and all three NEWMAC tournament games last season. Wheaton has won all NEWMAC regular season championships and seven of eight tournament championships.

The Lyons struck first in the opener on a suicide squeeze by Travis Anthoine scoring Jason Clucas, who led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a bunt single by Nick Pecora.

Coast Guard (5-4, 1-1) tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth as Ken Franklin had an infield single, Kevin Higgins and Adam Reckley walked to load the bases and Brian Yurovich’s ground ball was mishandled scoring Franklin and tying the game.

In the home half of the fifth, Christian George led off with a double in the left field gap and Bret Nichols followed with a single to left before Arena’s sac fly.

Wheaton (6-5, 1-1) went 1-2-3 in the sixth against Pitchford, but in the seventh, Pecora drew a one-out walk and stole second. Anthoine lined out to first base before Brandon Leonard was hit by a pitch to chase Pitchford.

Chris McDonough went the distance and allowed just four hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out five for Wheaton in the opener.

In game two, Louie Bernardini (2-0) allowed just three hits and no earned runs while walking one and striking out four over 7 1/3 innings and Robert Foote was 3 for 3 with two runs scored as the Lyons scored three unearned runs in the fifth to enroute to the 7-2 win.

Wheaton scored twice in the second as a run scored on a wild pitch and the other scored on a bases loaded walk to Pecora before the Lyons extended the lead to 5-0 with the three runs in the sixth. Pecora had the only RBI in the sixth, on a sacrifice fly. The first two runs of the inning scored on a throwing error on a bunt play by Coast Guard starter Kevin Thomas (0-3), who went seven innings and scattered four hits, allowing two earned run while walking five and striking out three.

The Bears got on the board in the eighth as the first run scored on a throwing error before Brian Lisko delivered an RBI single to make it a 5-2 game.

Wheaton added two insurance runs in the ninth on a bases loaded walk to Ken Depasse and an RBI single by Paul Malaguti.