NORTON, Mass. -- Senior starting pitcher Emma Candelaria (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) gave up one unearned run in seven innings to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 2-1 victory and complete a sweep over visiting Springfield College this afternoon in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The Lyons took the opener, 6-4, before winning game two, 2-1. Wheaton improves to 21-15 overall and 10-8 in league play, while the Pride drop to 26-12 and 11-7.

The Lyons capture the number six seed in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament and will take on number three seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday, May 4 at 2:30 p.m. at the host site of number two seed Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. Springfield earned the fourth seed and will play fifth-seeded United States Coast Guard Academy on the same day at the host site of top-seeded Babson College in Babson Park, Mass. for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch.

Candelaria scattered seven hits and struck out a batter to improve to 11-5 with the win for Wheaton. Sophomore Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) was 2-3 at the plate, while sophomore third base Amanda Bogardus (Saco, Maine) was 1-3 with a run batted in. 

Senior Mackenzie Doyle (Glocester, R.I.) was 2-3 to help pace the Pride offense, while senior Ava Fernandez (Cedar Grove, N.J.) was 2-3 with a run scored. Sophomore starting hurler Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.) dropped to 4-2 for the visitors after yielding two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk against two strikeouts.

Wheaton did not trail in either game of the twinbill all day. The Lyons cracked the scoring column with a run in the bottom of the first when first year center fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) worked a leadoff walk, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an infield hit to the pitcher from first year right fielder Emme Conley (Riverside, R.I.) and scored on a Barton sacrifice fly for a 1-0 home team edge.

Springfield matched the run in the fourth when Fernandez singled to right center and scored after sophomore catcher Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) roped a single through the left side that got by the Wheaton left fielder, allowing Fernandez to come around to score the tying run.

Wheaton benefited from an error in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead at 2-1. Sophomore catcher Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice before senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) hit a deep fly ball that the Pride center fielder went back to the fence and camped under it, but was unable to squeeze it for the inning-ending out to put runners on second and third for the Lyons. Bogardus made the miscue hurt with a single to left to bring home Ceddia with the eventual game-deciding run.