VIDEO: Ashley Brillon's RBI single / Megan Roy's run-scoring play

NORTON, Mass. - The Wheaton College softball team dropped a pair of one-run games to Rhode Island College in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon at Clark Field. The Anchorwomen won game one 5-4 and game two 6-5.

In game one, sophomore Ashley Brillon (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) drove in two runs and junior Alanna Monahan (Dorchester, Mass./Southfield School) scored three runs and also hit her first home run of the season. Junior Renee Laflam (Concord, N.H./Concord) registered two hits and two RBI in the nightcap.

The Lyons (8-10) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one on an RBI fielders choice by junior Megan Roy (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) and an RBI groundout by Brillon. RIC scored single runs in the second and third innings to tie the game at two. Junior Emily Johnson (West Kingston, R.I./South Kingstown) launched a solo home run in the second to make it 2-1, and an unearned run in the third evened the score at two. Brillon singled in a run in the Lyons half of the third to put them back in front, 3-2.

In the fifth, junior Marisa Jandreau (Plainville, Conn./Plainville) pulled the Anchorwomen even with an RBI single. Monahan's solo blast in the bottom of the fifth gave the Lyons a 5-4 lead which they took to the seventh, but Jandreau and sophomore Stacy Pokora (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) each drove in a run to give the visitors a one-run lead. Wheaton was retired in order in its half of the seventh to end the game.

Freshman Noelle Christmas (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) allowed three hits and three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts in six innings of work for Wheaton. Sophomore Allison Baker (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional) came on to pitch the seventh and was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) on one hit. Junior Jessica Bordon (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln) scattered three hits and surrendered four runs over seven innings to earn the victory for RIC.

Wheaton trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the fifth in the nightcap before rallying for single runs in the fifth and sixth to cut its deficit to one. Sophomore Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) belted her third home run of the season in the fifth, and Laflam lifted a home run over the left field fence in the sixth. After Pokora homered for the Anchorwomen in the top of the seventh to stretch their lead to 7-5, Laflam singled in junior Amanda Drury (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) with two outs in Wheaton's half of the ninth to make the score 6-5. Senior Amanda Poplaski (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) then stepped into the box with the tying run at second base but went down swinging to end the game.

Christmas suffered the loss in game two, allowing seven hits and four runs in three innings of work. Johnson went the distance for the win, allowing six hits and five runs (three earned) with seven strikeouts.

The Lyons return to action on Friday when they welcome Babson to town for a conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Rhode Island College travels to Worcester State for a Thursday afternoon doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.