WORCESTER, Mass. -- Senior starting pitcher Sarah Pritchard (Malta, N.Y.) gave up just one run in six innings to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team over host Clark University in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader this afternoon at O'Brien Softball Field in Worcester, Mass. The Lyons improve to 9-6 overall and 1-0 in NEWMAC play, while the Cougars fall to 3-2 and 0-1.

Both teams combined for just five hits and three runs.

Sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) was 1-2 with a run scored for Wheaton, while Pritchard (3-1) gave up just three hits and struck out three. Sophomore Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) came through with a pinch-hit single and pitched a scoreless seventh, which included a walk to earn her first save of the season.

Junior right fielder Natalie Stilwell (Beverly, Mass.) paced the Clark offense, going 2-2 with a solo homer, while senior Jessica Martin (Winthrop, Mass.) was 1-2. Junior starting pitcher Nicole Buckley (Hazlet, N.J.) went the distance for the Cougars, allowing two unearned runs on two hits and three walks to go with a pair of strikeouts in seven innings.

The Lyons scored the deciding run in the seventh with one out. Senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H.) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, before Knopf delivered a single to center. The center fielder overran the ball and Barton took advantage of the miscue and scored to give Wheaton a 2-1 edge.

Knopf stayed in the game to pitch a scoreless seventh to secure the win for the Lyons.

Wheaton got on the board first with a run in the second with the help of an error. Oliveira laced a leadoff single through the left side and scored when Pritchard put down a sacrifice bunt to push Oliveira to second, but the sophomore continued onto third to invite an errant throw that allowed her to come all the way around to score afternoon's first run.

Pritchard was cruising into the bottom of the sixth, having set down four of five innings in order, but Stilwell crushed a leadoff long ball over the left field fence to tie the score at 1-1. Pritchard shook off the mistake and retired the next three batters.