NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team opened its home slate with a 12-2 loss to visiting Babson College this afternoon in game one of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The Lyons win streak ends at six and they dip to 10-7 overall and 2-1 in league play, while the Beavers, who are ranked 24th nationally in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, improve to 15-4 and 3-0. The game was halted after six innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. 

Sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) led Wheaton going 2-3 with a run batted in, while first year right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) was 1-2 with a double, a run scored and a walk. Senior starting pitcher Sarah Pritchard (Malta, N.Y.) (3-2) was saddled with the loss, giving up five runs on 10 hits and two walks, while fanning two batters.

First year rightfielder Sara Moore (Kennett Square, Pa.) began the afternoon with four hits in five at-bats to pace a 15-hit attack for Babson. She knocked in a run and scored four runs, while sophomore first base Chloe Joslin (Wyoming, R.I.) was 2-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Senior center fielder Audrey Labouliere (Pipersville, Pa.) drove in two runs with a pair of doubles and scored a run. Sophomore starting left-handed pitcher Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) improved to 9-2 after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in addition to seven strikeouts.

The Beavers scored all the runs they would need with three in the top of the first. Moore led off with a single and scored on a double from Labouliere, before Joslin tripled to right center to give Babson a 2-0 lead. Junior second base Lexi Morris (Lexington, Mass.) later laced a two-out run-scoring single to left center.

The Lyons got a run back in the bottom of the frame after Oliveira singled home sophomore second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) (walked) with two outs to cut the deficit to 3-1. Wheaton added a run in the second to make it a one-run game when Rohon smacked a leadoff double and later scored on fielder's choice.

The Beavers gradually put the game away with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth before putting the game out of reach with a five-run sixth.

Joslin and left fielder Abrianna Natoli (Fairfield, Conn.) each struck RBI singles in the fourth, while senior Cara Harnick (Sammamish, Wash.) drove in two more runs with a double in the fifth to give Babson a 7-2 cushion. The Beavers took advantage of two errors in the sixth and also received a two-run single from junior catcher Kate Karamouzis (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) an RBI single from Moore and a double from Labouliere to plate the 12th run for Babson.