BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) sent the game into extra innings with a two-run homer and then gave the sixth-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team the deciding run with an RBI double in the ninth in a 3-2 victory over number five seed United States Coast Guard Academy this morning in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Tournament at top-seeded Babson College's Alumni Softball Field in Babson Park, Mass. The Lyons improve to 22-16 on the season, while the Bears are eliminated from the tournament with a 19-16 mark.

Wheaton now plays the winner of the elimination game between number four Springfield College and third-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology today at 2:00 p.m. in Babson Park.

Keller finished the game going 2-4 with three runs batted, a double, a home run and a run scored for the Lyons, while sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) was 2-4 with two runs scored. Senior starting pitcher Emma Candelaria (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) scattered seven hits and allowed two runs, while striking out one and issuing one walk in nine complete innings.

Sophomore left fielder Christine Carey (San Diego, Calif.) led Coast Guard at the plate, going 1-4 with a double, a run scored and a run batted in and sophomore right fielder Isabelle Shroyer (Marysville, Ohio) was 1-4 with an RBI. Junior center fielder Kayla Yoshioka Montalvo (Lomita, Calif.) reached base twice with a single and a walk in four plate appearances. Sophomore right-hander Amanda Moore (McLean, Va.) (13-6) suffered the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and struck out three batters in nine innings.

Wheaton entered the top of the seventh inning down 2-0, before scoring twice to send the game into extra frames. Oliveira led off the inning by reaching on an infield error to give the Lyons a chance. Keller came to the plate with one out and crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for her fourth homer of the year to knot the contest at 2-2.

The Bears looked to win it in the bottom of the inning when sophomore shortstop Julia Breidenth (Leawood, Kan.) and senior Maggie Perez (Granada Hills, Calif.) hit back-to-back one-out singles. Montalvo later singled up the middle with two outs and Breidenthal rounded third and headed for home, but Wheaton first year center fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) threw a bullet to the plate to get the runner in plenty of time and keep it a tie game.

Both teams were set down 1-2-3 in the eighth inning, before Tristan put the Lyons ahead in the ninth. Oliveira and first year Erica Piercey (North Branford, Conn.) smacked consecutive singles to give Wheaton two runners on base with one out. Keller ripped a pitch off the right-center field fence to plate Oliveira for the second time and give the Lyons a 3-2 lead. Candelaria retired all three batters she faced in the ninth to secure the win.

Coast Guard scored both of their runs in the sixth to open the scoring. Montalvo drew a one-out walk, before Carey doubled down the left field line to bring her around to score the game's first run. Shroyer followed with an infield single to knock in Carey and give the Bears a 2-0 margin.