Norton, Mass. – April 3, 2021 – The Wheaton College softball team dropped both ends of a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader against Springfield College at Clark Field on Saturday afternoon. The Pride won the opener, 6-3, and the nightcap by a 12-5 final.

Wheaton evened out its record at 2-2 overall after today's contests, while Springfield remained unbeaten this season at 4-0 overall.

Game One: Springfield 6, Wheaton 4

Gillian Kane led the way for the visitors in game one as she went 4-for-4 at the plate and pitched the first four innings. Sarah Pritchard (Malta, N.Y.) paced the Lyons with a 2-for-3 day at the plate in addition to her 6.2 innings in the circle. 

Pritchard got the Lyons on the board first with a home run in the bottom of the second inning, however in the next frame an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly gave the Pride a 2-1 edge. Trailing 3-1, Pritchard helped her own cause once again with an RBI single that plated Lindsay Whittles (Hopkinton, Mass.) who kicked off the fourth with a double of her own.

Springfield pulled away for the game one win with one run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh as the visitors won the opener, 6-3. Kane (2-0) pitched four innings, allowed two runs and struck out five, while Ashley Pugliese picked up the save with three innings in relief for Springfield. Pritchard took the loss (1-1) as she allowed six runs (three earned) and struck out a pair in 6.2 innings for Wheaton.

Game Two: Springfield 12, Wheaton 5

After a scoreless first, Springfield scored five in the second and two in the third for an early 7-0 advantage. Kane, who began the second with a single, came around to score on an RBI knock by Hannah Salvietti. The Pride used two RBI singles and a sac fly to account for their five runs in the frame.

Wheaton chipped into Springfield's lead in the bottom of the third inning. Katelyn Barton (Andover, Mass.) roped an RBI double that plated Madyson Bendanillo (Mansfield, Mass.) and scored on a single by Whittles. Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) capped the run for the Lyons with an RBI single of her own. The hosts cut their deficit to just two at 7-5 after Whittles blasted the ball over the right field fence in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Springfield put the game out of reach with a five spot in the top of the sixth that was highlighted by a pair of two run singles by Callie Gendron and Dana Sericchi as the Pride took the nightcap, 12-5. 

Mackenzie Doyle led the way for Springfield in game two as she went 4-for-5 with an RBI and scored two runs, while Whittles powered Wheaton's offense with a 2-for-4 day to go along with two runs and three RBI. Bendanillo added two hits and two runs to the Lyons' game two effort.

Emma Gell (2-0) earned the win for Springfield as she tossed five innings and allowed five runs, while Emma Candelaria (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) moved to 1-1 on the spring as she pitched two innings and allowed five runs (three earned).

Wheaton (2-2, 2-2 NEWMAC) will return to action on Saturday, April 10 with a NEWMAC doubleheader at the Coast Guard Academy. First pitch is slated for noon.

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