NEW LONDON, Conn. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team was defeated, 7-2, by host United States Coast Guard Academy this afternoon in the night cap of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Lower Field Complex of the Nitchman Field in New London, Conn. The Lyons fall to 19-15 overall and 8-8 in league play, while the Bears improve to 18-12 and 11-5.

All of the game's scoring came in three half innings with Wheaton taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and Coast Guard scoring four times in the third and three in the fourth.

Senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H.) was 1-2 with a run batted in for the Lyons, while classmate Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) and sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) both doubled in three at-bats. Oliveira also scored a run. First year right fielder Emme Conley (Riverside, R.I.) was 1-3 with a run scored. Senior right-handed starter Emma Candelaria (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) (10-5) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks to go with a strikeout in three innings of work.

The Bears were led at the plate by junior shortstop Mariah Dewey (Campbell, Calif.), who was 2-4 with a home run and three runs batted in, while sophomore catcher Lillia Farlow (Carrollton, Texas) was 1-3 with an RBI and junior first base Katie Becker (Jacksonville, N.C.) was 1-2 with a walk, a run batted in and a pair of runs scored. Sophomore starting pitcher Amanda Moore (McLean, Va.) picked up her second win of the twinbill to improve to 12-4 after allowing two unearned runs on five hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Wheaton got on the board first with two hits and the benefit of an error in the top of the first. Conley stroked a one-out single to center field and Oliveira followed with a double to right to put both runners in scoring position. Barton hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Conley, but Oliveira also scored on an error to give the Lyons a 2-0 lead.

Coast Guard crossed the plate four times in the third to take a 4-2 margin. Dewey tied the game in a hurry when she knocked in Becker (walked) with a two-run homer over the left field fence. Beck followed with a single and sophomore third base Julia Breidenth (Leawood, Kan) drew a walk, before both advanced into scoring position on a double steal. Junior center fielder Kayla Yoshioka Montalvo (Lomita, Calif.) knocked in Beck with a sacrifice fly to give the home team the lead and Farlow singled to left to bring home Breidenth with the fourth run of the inning.

The Bears added three insurance runs on four straight hits and an error to open the fourth to make it 7-2. Junior second base Selena Serna (San Diego, Calif.) and first year Gracie Hare (North Aurora, Ill.) both singled to open the frame, before Becker knocked in Serna with a single to left. Dewey followed with an RBI single to right to give Coast Guard a 6-2 cushion. Breidenth worked a one-out walk to load the bases and the Bears scored their final run on a fielder's choice.

Wheaton returns to NEWMAC action tomorrow when it hosts Springfield College on Senior Day at the Clark Softball Field in Norton, Mass. for a noon doubleheader, while Coast Guard heads to Cambridge, Mass. tomorrow to take on Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 12:00 p.m. in league play.