NORTON, Mass. -- Senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) homered and drove in three runs and senior starting pitcher Sarah Pritchard (Malta, N.Y.) gave up just one hit in a 9-0 shutout victory over visiting Emerson College this afternoon in game one of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference twinbill at the Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The Lyons improve to 18-13 overall and 7-6 in league play, while the Lions fall to 15-16 and 2-11. The game was halted after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Wheaton exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.

Keller was 2-3 with three runs batted in and a run scored for the Lyons. Pritchard allowed a single with two outs in the first inning and then retired the final 13 Emerson batters, including two by strikeout, to close out the game. She also contributed at the plate, going 2-3 with a double and a run scored. First year second base Erica Piercey (North Branford, Conn.) was 2-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored and senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H.) was 2-3 with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored.

Sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Killough (Attleboro, Mass.) recorded the only hit for Emerson with a single in two at-bats. First year starting pitcher Jessica Gomez (West Chester, Pa.) (8-8) suffered the loss, giving up eight runs on 12 hits and struck out two.

Wheaton got on the board in the first inning when first year center fielder Juliet Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) doubled down the line to lead off the frame and came around to score on a Barton single up the middle to give the Lyons a 1-0 edge.

Wheaton added another run with two outs in the bottom of the third to take a 2-0 margin. First year right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) doubled to right and Piercey followed with a double of her own to left to bring home Rohon with the Lyons' second run.

Wheaton sent 10 batters to the plate and saw seven of them score to take a 9-0 cushion in the fourth inning. Pritchard opened the frame with a double to right center and promptly scored on a single down the right field line off the bat of sophomore Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) to make it 3-0. The Lyons scored six more runs with two outs in the inning. Senior Lexi Lovell (Dighton, Mass.) pinch-ran for Ceddia and came around to score on a double down the left field line from Barton. Sophomore Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) followed with a single through the left side to bring home Barton with the fifth run, before Rohon singled and Piercey doubled to the left-center gap to score Oliveira for a 6-0 lead. Keller cleared the bases with a three-run homer for her third home run of  the year and a 9-0 advantage for the home team.