CAMBRIDGE, MA- The Wheaton College softball team picked up a
pair of much-needed New England Women's and Men's Athletic
Conference (NEWMAC) wins on Sunday, twice defeating Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in five innings, 15-1 and 15-2 at
Briggs Field. Now 17-13 overall and 5-7 in the league, the Lyons
are currently holding down the sixth and final playoff spot with
four contests to play. The Engineers slipped to 7-17 and 3-11.
Freshman Megan Roy (North
Dighton, MA/Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) roped a pair of
two-run doubles in the opener, finishing 2-for-2 with four RBI and
two runs. Sophomore Amanda Poplaski
(North Reading, MA/North Reading) scored three runs while
drawing two of Wheaton's nine walks, and junior Katy Salka (Ayer,
MA/Ayer) was 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a triple.
Classmate Nicole DeRosa
(Greenwich, CT/Greenwich Academy) scored twice and drove
in two runs, junior Rachel Merrick
(Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) had two hits, sophomore
Emily
O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk) walked twice and
scored two runs, while freshman Alanna Monahan
(Dorchester, MA/Southfield School) drew a pair of bases on
balls after coming off the bench. Sophomore Lesley Warn
(Portland, ME/Deering) did not allow an earned run while
giving up two hits.
For MIT, sophomore Jessica Iacobucci (Phoenixville,
PA/The Shipley School) took the loss, yielding six earned
runs on four hits in 2.1 frames. The Lyons did not strike out
during the five innings they batted, as the Engineers gave up 13
earned runs on 13 hits.
The hosts plated a first-inning run on a two-out miscue, but
Wheaton responded with three runs the next frame and eight in the
third. Roy's two-RBI double in the second gave the Lyons the lead
for good before the visitors banged out five hits during the third
inning, with Roy providing another two-run two-bagger. Salka added
an RBI triple, while DeRosa and Poplaski each had run-scoring
knocks.
Wheaton scored four more in the fifth inning on four hits and
four walks. Merrick ripped an RBI double, Salka and freshman
Brittany
Calarese (Norwood, MA/Norwood) added RBI singles, and
DeRosa contributed a sacrifice fly.
In game two, the Lyons scored four runs on no hits and four
errors during the first inning and never looked back. DeRosa
finished 3-for-4 with four runs and three RBI, freshman Amanda Drury
(Tolland, CT/Tolland) had a pair of hits while scoring
three runs, and sophomore Valerie Tratner
(Forest Hills, NY/Saint Francis Prep) went 2-for-3. Roy
drove in two, Salka scored twice, and Warn again did not allow an
earned run during her five innings in the circle, surrendering five
hits and striking out two.
Freshman Trinity Leonard (Mill Valley, CA/Saint
Ignatius) took the loss, yielding nine earned runs on 11
hits. The Lyons took advantage of seven miscues and 11 wild pitches
by the Engineer pitching staff.
Roy and Salka each had an RBI during the opening inning before
Wheaton plated four more runs in the second, with DeRosa, Drury and
Roy smacking run-scoring singles. The Lyons made it 9-0 in the
fourth before allowing two unearned runs in the home half but
countering with six runs in the fifth. DeRosa laced a two-run
single, freshman Renee Laflam
(Concord, NH/Concord) had an RBI double, and junior
Marissa Hobocan
(Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) ripped a run-scoring knock up
the middle.
Wheaton is back in action on Wednesday at Brandeis University
for a twinbill that begins at 3:00 p.m. The Judges were ranked 21st
in last week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll.
