Box Score The Johnson & Wales Baseball team earned a victory in their first NCAA Regional matchup on Friday morning. The Wildcats defeated the Lyons of Wheaton (Mass.) 6-3 behind a complete game on the mound from Dane DellaValle (Howell, N.J.).
JWU opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when first-year Xavier Bothelo (Rehoboth, Mass.) launched a solo home run. The Wildcats added two more runs in the top of the second inning. The first run came when a Jack Magane (Walpole, Mass.) groundout plated Thorin Sanchez-Guerra (Lindenhurst, N.Y.). Trevor Juan (Bolton, Conn.) followed up Magane wit ha two-run home run to plate Owen Davis, giving the Wildcats a 4-0 lead after two innings.
Wheaton grabbed one back in the bottom of the third inning when Nicholas Croteau hit a solo-home run.
JWU maintained their three-run advantage until the top of the seventh inning when they added on. With two runners on, Griffin Snyder (Marietta, Ga.) singled and advanced to second on an error that also allowed Juan to come around and score. They added one more on a sacrifice fly by EJ Leone (Peabody, Mass.) taking a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh frame.
The Lyons added one run in both the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings, but the Wildcats held off their local opponent, winning 6-3.
Dane DellaValle (Howell, N.J.) pitched a complete game for JWU, scattering 10 hits and striking out seven batters over his nine innings of work.
The Wildcats await their opponent and will play the winner of the SUNY Brockport vs. Baldwin Wallace game tomorrow, Saturday, May 21st, at 12:00pm.
