The Wheaton College Lyons, ranked ninth in the country, pushed across a pair of runs in the 13th inning to oust the Husson University Eagles from the NCAA Division III regional 3-1 in New London, Conn. on Sunday afternoon.
Wheaton of Massachusetts had beaten Husson 11-3 in their tourney opener on Friday before losing to host Mitchell College 7-4 in their winners bracket game right before their game with Husson.
Husson staved off elimination with a 5-2 win over Tufts on Sunday morning. It marked the first time in program history Husson has won a game in two successive regionals as the Eagles went 1-2 in last season’s regional in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
The Eagles ended their season at 25-19. Wheaton, which is now 39-7, will take on Mitchell College of Connecticut on Monday at 11 a.m. It will have to beat Mitchell to force a championship game.
For Wheaton, Tommy Ambrosone opened the 13th with a single down the right field line and pinch-hitter Marcus Ollivierre was hit by a pitch. Husson pitcher Conner Wagstaff was replaced by Jackson Thayer, then A.J. Guindon reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Wheaton’s Mike Maher walked to force in the winning run. Nick Croteau followed with a sacrifice fly.
Husson had a glorious chance to answer in the bottom of the 13th as it loaded the bases with one out on walks to David York and Keegan Cyr, a sacrifice bunt by Colin Marshall and an intentional walk to Kobe Rogerson.
But Wheaton’s Max Pierce, who had replaced Jackson Walsh the walk that started the inning, struck out Tanner Evans and got Brett Riffe on a grounder back to him to end the threat.
Husson also had a chance to win it in the bottom of the 12th.
Riffe singled and was sacrificed to second by Ethan Stoddard. Walsh intentionally walked Akira Warren before inducing Hunter Curtis to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Kevin Matos walked, Robert Wirtanen was hit by a pitch and, following a double play, Ambrosone singled home Matos.
That lead lasted until the ninth inning when Husson tied it with two outs.
Jackson Curtis began the two-out rally with a base hit and Austin Snow came on to pinch run for him. Stoddard doubled down the left field line and Warren’s infield single delivered Snow.
Guindon, Maher, Matos and Ambrosone each had two singles for Wheaton, which stranded 16 baserunners. Warren had two base hits for Husson and Stoddard and York each had a double.
Husson used eight pitchers in the contest, while Liam Goldthwaite tossed nine innings of six-hit, one-run ball for Wheaton. He struck out five and walked one.
Walsh earned the win in relief with three innings of one-hit shutout ball. He is now 4-0. Pierce picked up his fourth save. Wagstaff absorbed the loss for Husson. He ends the season at 0-4.