WELLESLEY, MA- The Wheaton College softball team dropped a pair of New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) games to regional power Wellesley College on Tuesday afternoon, as the Lyons lost 9-1 in five innings during the opener before falling by a 6-1 count in the nightcap.

Wheaton dropped its seventh straight game to fall to 13-11 overall and 1-7 in league play, while the hosts extended their winning streak to seven and improved to 16-4 and 8-2.

The Lyons surrendered six first-inning runs during the opener and managed just four hits, including two from sophomore Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk).  Junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) added a double, while sophomore Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering) was saddled with the pitching loss.

Wellesley freshman Mara Blesoff (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park and River Forest) went 2-for-2 with three RBI, junior Sinta Cebrian (Seattle, WA/The Bush School) also had two hits while driving in two and scoring twice, while sophomore Jessie Haladyna (Saint Johns, FL/Bartram Trail) accounted for two runs.  Senior hurler Megan Wood (Jacksonville, FL/The Bolles School) went the distance, striking out one and walking two.

Haladyna homered to lead off the Blue's big first inning, and Blesoff's two-out, two-run double made it 6-0.  Trailing 7-0 after four, the Lyons scored their lone run in the fifth, as freshman Megan Roy (North Dighton, MA/Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) walked, advanced to second on an O'Connell single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a wild pitch.  The hosts pushed two runs across in the home half to force the mercy rule.

Game two saw Wheaton take a 1-0 lead in the second before surrendering three runs in each the fourth and fifth innings.  Senior Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) kept the Blue bats in check early, yielding just two hits through three frames.  Bagley suffered the complete-game loss after fanning four batters without issuing a walk.

Four different Lyons recorded a hit, as the Blue and White stranded 10 runners.  Sophomore Amanda Poplaski (North Reading, MA/North Reading) had a base knock and stole a base, while junior Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) scored the only run.

Wood provided two hits, four RBI and two runs for Wellesley, junior Megan Townsend (Saline, MI/Saline) went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs, while freshman pitcher Lauren Goldfarb (Albuquerque, NM/La Cueva) earned the win despite walking seven.

Similar to game one, Wheaton picked up its run on a wild pitch after drawing a leadoff walk.  However, Wellesley took the lead for good during a three-run fourth inning.  Wood had a two-run single in the frame, followed by a two-run homer in the fifth.  The Lyons put forward a two-out rally in the seventh but came away empty, leaving runners at first and second.

Wheaton turns back around tomorrow to face 2009 NCAA Tournament participant Endicott College in a non-league doubleheader in Beverly at 3:00 p.m.