WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team defeated host Wellesley College, 6-4, to salvage a split in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader this afternoon at the Wellesley Softball Field in Wellesley, Mass. The Lyons improve to 13-11 overall and 4-4 in league play, while the Blue fall to 2-17 and 1-7.

Wheaton scored four runs in the top of the third and tacked on a run each in the fifth and sixth innings to prove the difference.

Senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H.) was 1-3 with a run batted in and a run scored for the Lyons, while sophomore Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) doubled and drove in a run. Sophomore third base Amanda Bogardus (Saco, Maine) was 2-2 with a run scored. Senior hurler Emma Candelaria (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) upped her record to 8-3 after allowing two runs on just four hits and no walks in six and two-thirds innings of work and struck out five. 

Senior third base Marisa Hensch (Carlsbad, Calif.) was 2-3 with a pair of runs scored and first year center fielder Charis Chung (San Gabriel, Calif.) and senior left fielder Holly Chin (Newton, Mass.) each singled and knocked in a run for Wellesley. Game one winner, junior righty Marisa Sgamgati (Scottsdale, Ariz.)) (1-6) was unable to repeat her success from the opener, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits, while fanning three batters in three innings.

Wheaton scored four times in the top of the third to erase a 1-0 deficit and take the lead for good. Bogardus  reached on an infield single to third to open the inning and later moved to third on a single to right center off the bat of sophomore center fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.). Sophomore Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) reached on an error with Bogardus scoring to knot the game at 1-1. Barton gave the Lyons a 2-1 lead with a run-scoring single up the middle before moving to second on an error on the play that allowed Agan to score the third Wheaton run. Knopf delivered an RBI double to left to give the Lyons a 4-1 lead.

The Blue got a run back in the fourth to cut the deficit in half. Chung opened the frame with a single and moved to third on a pair of ground outs, before Chin came through with a single to left field to pull the home team to within 4-2.

The Lyons padded their lead with two runs over the course of the next two innings to take a 6-2 advantage. Agan ripped a leadoff single up the middle and later scored Wheaton's fifth run with the benefit of an error. The Lyons took advantage of another Wellesley miscue in the sixth when senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an error with two outs to give the visitors a four-run lead.

The Blue crossed the plate twice in the bottom of the inning to make it a two-run game again. Hensch was hit by a pitch to open the inning, stole second, went to third and later scored on an error. Senior Hayley Moniz (Westfield, Mass.) had reached on an error prior to that and later scored on a wild pitch. It was the last run of the day for the home team. 

Wheaton returns to conference play tomorrow when it hosts Smith College at the Clark Softball Field for a 12:00 p.m. twinbill, while Wellesley hosts Clark University for Senior Day at Noon.