WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Wheaton College softball team was defeated by host Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 3-1, this afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Rooftop Field in Worcester, Mass. The Lyons fall to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in league play, while the Engineers improve to 12-11 and 2-3.

WPI scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to take its first lead of the game for the deciding margin.

First year right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) led Wheaton at the plate, going 2-3 with a run batted in, while classmate Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 1-2 with a run scored. Senior starting pitcher Sarah Pritchard (Malta, N.Y.) (3-3) suffered the loss after giving up three runs on five hits and two walks to go with a pair of strikeouts in six innings of work.

First year third base Shaina Lazarus (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) paced the Engineers going 2-2 with a double and an RBI to go with a run scored. Sophomore catcher Jocelyn Diaz (Reedley, Calif.) was 1-3 with a run batted in. Graduate student starting pitcher Katie Martin (Bedford, N.H.) earned the complete-game victory to improve to 8-4 after allowing a run on four hits and two walks in addition to striking out six in seven innings.

Sophomore left fielder Alex Sheehan (Marion, Mass.) led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single and stole second before Lazarus roped a double to right center to plate Sheehan and give WPI a 2-1 edge. Diaz later followed with a two-out single down the left field line to bring home Lazarus with an insurance run to make it 3-1 for the home team.

The Lyons got on the board first when Zito reached on an infield single to open the game and sophomore second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) drew a walk to put two runners on base. Two outs later, Rohon came to the plate and delivered an RBI single to left field to give Wheaton a 1-0 margin.

The Engineers answered in the bottom of the frame when sophomore center fielder Sydney Russell (Arlington, Va.) stroked a leadoff single up the middle. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt before junior second base Alicia Salvalzo (Hudson, N.H.) brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right to knot the contest at 1-1.

WPI looked to take the lead in the bottom of the third when Bishop worked a leadoff walk, stole second and then third, but was stranded on third when Pritchard induced a pair of ground outs to end the threat. 

Wheaton also threatened to reclaim the lead in the top of the fourth. Sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) drew a walk to open the frame before Rohon reached on a bunt single. The runners both moved into scoring position with one out after a ground out, but were left there after a strikeout and a pop up to the shortstop in foul ground.