Lyons take game one 9-1, Engineers post 2-1 victory in game two

NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College softball team split a pair of New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) games against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Saturday afternoon at Clark Field. The Lyons took game one, 9-1 (six innings), but fell in game two to the Engineers by a score of 2-1.

Wheaton 9, WPI 1 (six innings)

Juniors Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) and Ashley Brillon (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) and freshman Kelly Welch (Wood Dale, Ill./Fenton) all drove in two runs apiece to pace the offense.

Wheaton junior Allison Baker (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional) bumped her record to 6-3 overall on five innings pitched, four hits, one run (earned), one walk and four strikeouts. WPI senior Christa Coscia (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet Regional) suffered the loss on five-and-two-thirds innings, ten hits, nine runs (five earned), four walks and two punchouts.

The Lyons put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning as senior Megan Roy (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) whacked an RBI double to left-center field plating Je. Rocha. Roy came around to score the second run of the frame on a throwing error.

Brillon lifted Wheaton to a 3-0 advantage in the third with an RBI single to center field driving in senior Renee Laflam (Concord, N.H./Concord) who singled and advanced to second on a walk by sophomore Emily Berardi (Boston, Mass./Boston Latin) earlier in the inning.

The Engineers got a run back in the fourth as freshman Jacquelyne DiTroia (Andover, Mass./Brooks School) hit an RBI two-base knock to center field bringing home sophomore Amanda Pierce (Ware, Mass./Ware).

Welch ripped a two-run double down the left field line in the fifth and Je. Rocha put the game away in the sixth with the first home run over Clark Field's new fence, a two a two-run bomb to center.

WPI 2, Wheaton 1

Freshman Clare Doolin (Newton, Mass./Newton North) aided WPI in earning a doubleheader split throwing all seven frames, yielding eight hits, one run (earned), two walks and two strikeouts.

Berardi was saddled with the no-decision on five innings pitched, four hits, no runs, one walk and a game-high four strikeouts. Sophomore Noelle Christmas (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) took the loss on one inning, zero hits, two runs (both unearned) and two walks. Freshman Jillian Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) gave up two hits in a scoreless seventh.

The Engineers broke open the shutout in the sixth with two runs on zero hits, one error and one runner left on base. Junior Ali LaRue (South Glens Falls, N.Y./South Glens Falls) scored the go-ahead run in the inning on a throwing error after she reached first on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Senior Erin Beaulieu (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) made it 2-0 with a fielder's choice RBI.

In the seventh, Wheaton saw its comeback bid fall just short as the potential tying run was cut down at third base. Ji. Rocha singled through the left side of the infield to lead off the frame and advanced to third as senior Amanda Drury (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) walloped a double to right-center field.

After Doolin struck out the next batter she faced swinging, Je. Rocha followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to cut into the deficit at 2-1 but Drury was put out at third, 8-3-5, to end the Lyons threat.

Drury went 4-for-4 with one run scored for Wheaton in the two game series. Welch was 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBI's while Je. Rocha hit .600 (3-for-5) with two runs scored, one homer and three RBI's.

Wheaton (10-8, 3-1 NEWMAC) hosts UMass Boston for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 2 at 3/5 p.m. WPI (6-10, 2-2 NEWMAC) takes on Wellesley in a NEWMAC doubleheader tilt on Monday, April 1 with game one scheduled for 3:00 p.m.