BABSON PARK, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology softball team scored seven times in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 10-2 win over Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Tournament at top-seeded Babson College's Alumni Field in Babson Park, Mass. The Lyons are eliminated from the tournament with a record of 22-17, while the Engineers advance to the Championship round against the loser of Babson and number two seed Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 

Sophomore third base Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) led Wheaton at the plate, going 2-3, while senior first base Tristan Keller (Plymouth, N.H.) was 1-3 with a run batted in. Senior shortstop Katelyn Barton (Andover, N.H) and sophomore left fielder Allison Weston (West Islip, N.Y.) each had doubles for the Lyons. Sophomore starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) (3-5) suffered the loss, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits and two walks to to with a strikeout in five and a third innings of work.

Sophomore first base Mackenzie Relihan (Naperville, Ill.) led MIT with a 3-4 effort that included a double, three runs batted in and a run scored, while first year second base Macknzie Bivin (San Diego, Calif.) was 2-3 with a double, three RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Senior lefty starting pitcher Anya Chase (Wells, Maine) also knocked in a run and was 2-4 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored. Chase earned the win in the circle to improve to 14-8, allowing a run on four hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in four and a third innings pitched. 

Wheaton scored single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings to cut the deficit to 3-2, before MIT erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to enact the eight-run mercy rule.

The Lyons faced a 3-0 deficit heading into the fifth inning and scored a run to get on the board and make it a two-run game. Weston smacked a one-out double, before sophomore Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) delivered a single to left center to plate Weston with Wheaton's first run of the game. 

The Lyons added another run in the sixth to pull within a run. Barton led off the frame with a double to left center and Keller came through with a two-out single to left to knock in Barton to make it 3-2.

The Engineers put the game away with seven runs on six hits, including a pair of doubles, in the bottom of the frame to take a 10-2 lead and the eight-run difference.

Chase drove in a run with a double to give MIT a 6-2 lead, before Bivin knocked in two runs to increase the advantage to 8-2. Relihan ended the contest with a two-out, two run single to plate the ninth and 10th runs.

The Engineers opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 edge. First year right fielder Kennedy Adkison (San Diego, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame, stole second and scored on a one-out single from Bivin.

MIT added two more runs in the fourth to open up a 3-0 margin. First year Becca O'Connor (San Antonio, Texas) was hit by a pitch and first year Dana Bell (Bensalem, Pa.) drew a walk to set up an RBI double to left center off the bat of Relihan to double the Engineers' run total. Sophomore catcher Katia Pendowski (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to bring home Relihan with MIT's third run.