CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team fell to McDaniel College, 7-6, this morning at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla. as part of The Spring Games. The Lyons fall to 1-3 after their third one-run loss, while the Green Terror improve to 4-4.

The teams combined for 24 hits, including nine extra-base knocks. 

Senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) led all players with four runs batted in, while going 2-4 with a home run and a run scored to lead Wheaton. Senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H.) was 2-3 with a double and two runs scored and first year Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) finished the game with a 2-4 effort at the plate and scored a run. Sophomore relief pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) (0-2) took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks, while fanning seven batters in three and two-thirds innings.

Senior catcher Megan Horsey (Chesapeake City, Md.) led McDaniel with a perfect 4-4 performance at the dish, including a pair of doubles, three RBI and a run scored. Junior Evie Craig (Valby, Denmark) was 2-4 with a double and two runs batted in and sophomore first base Paytyn Hazelton (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) was 1-4 with a home run. First year starting pitcher Hannah Costa (Bayville, N.J.) earned her first collegiate victory allowing four runs on 10 hits and a walk to go with a pair of strikeouts in six and a third innings of work. 

The Lyons scored twice in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Zito singled and Barton drew a walk to set up a two-out, two-run single to left field off the bat of Keller.

The Green Terror erupted for five runs in the second to take a 5-2 margin. Senior third base Madison Froemel (Suffolk, Va.) singled, junior left fielder Colleen Camburn (Waretown, N.J.) doubled and first year shortstop Olivia Dresser (Valrico, Fla.) reached on an infield single to load the bases. Senior center fielder Mattie Whalen (Magnolia, N.J.) followed with a single to right to move everyone up a base and cut the Wheaton lead in half. Horsey gave McDaniel the lead with a two-run double to right center to give the Green Terror a 3-2 edge with two outs. Craig followed with a double of her own to make it 5-2.

The Lyons scored single runs in the second and the third to pull to within 5-4. Sophomore second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) crushed a leadoff double to right center and later scored on a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of first year Emme Conley (Riverside, R.I.) for Wheaton's third run. Barton cranked a one-out double to right center before Knopf traded places with her with a double to left to make it 5-4.

McDaniel was able to get a little breathing room in the top of the fifth after Hazelton crushed a pitch over the right field fence to lead off the frame and give the Green Terror a 6-4 advantage. The Lyons answered with a display of power of their own in the bottom of the inning when Knopf was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Keller launched a two-run homer over center field to knot the contest at 6-6.

McDaniel reclaimed the lead with a run in the sixth after Whalen worked a leadoff walk and later scored on a one-out double to left center from Horsey to take a 7-6 lead.

Wheaton looked to answer in the bottom of the sixth when Zito reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third after a Barton single to put runners on the corners with no outs. The Lyons rally was snuffed out though when Zito was caught trying to steal home on the front end of a double-steal and Costa got consecutive line outs to end the inning. 

Wheaton will be in action again later today when it takes on Saint Norbert College at Hancock Park for a 2:45 first pitch, while the Green Terror plays Ripon College.