KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but fell short in a comeback bid in a 5-4 loss to Carroll University this afternoon at Fortune Road Sportsplex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.

The Lyons dip to 1-1 on the season, while the Pioneers improve to 4-2.

Sophomore center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) led Wheaton at the plate going 2-3 with a double and a run batted in, while junior second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) and junior third base Amanda Bogardus (Saco, Maine) were both 2-4 in the game. First year starting pitcher Ashlyn Burt (Olathe, Kan.) was saddled with the loss in her collegiate debut, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk in three and a third innings, before yielding to classmate Brittany Dost (Centereach, N.Y.), who gave up just two hits and struck out three over the final two and two=thirds innings.

Senior shortstop Lauren Harshbarger (Watertown, Wis.) paced Carroll with a 2-4 effort that saw her drive in a pair of runs and score a run. Sophomore third base Kiana Johnson (McHenry, Ill.) was 2-4 with an RBI and senior second base Abby Wimmer (Jackson, Wis.) came through with a run-scoring single. First year left fielder Abby Curtis (Oshkosh, Wis.) was 3-3 with a run scored. Sophomore pitcher Riley Pavelka (Naperville, Ill.) picked up the victory to improve to 1-0 for the Pioneers in middle relief, gving up two runs on two hits and three walks to go with a pair of strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings of work.

The Lyons looked to duplicate their earlier dramatics from their earlier game that saw them win in walk-off fashion with two outs. Wheaton entered the seventh against Carroll facing a 5-3 deficit. Sophomore right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) began the Lyons' rally with a two-out infield single, before coming all the way around to score on DiBacco's double to center field for the game's only extra base hit to pull the Lyons to within 5-4. Bogardus reached on an infield single to the pitcher to advance DiBacco to third to put the tying run just a base away. Wheaton's bid to tie the contest came to an end on a fly out to right field.

Wimmer put Carroll on the board with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the second to make it 1-0. The Pioneers doubled their lead with a single run in third to make it 2-0. Harshbarger opened the frame with a single and came around to score on a throwing error.

The Lyons got a run back in the top of the fourth to make it 2-1. Wheaton loaded the bases with three straight walks to open the inning drawn by junior catcher Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.), Rohon and DiBacco. Following a strikeout, first year first base Lily Platt (Hallowell, Maine) joined the parade of patience and also worked a walk to bring home the Lyons first run of the game and keep the bases loaded with just one out. Pavelka bared down for Carroll and got a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat and keep the Pioneers in front by a run.

Carroll looked to break the game open when it loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. Harshbarger delivered with a two-run single to right-center, before Johnson plated another run with an infield single to second to cap the three-run frame for the Pioneers and give them a 5-1 advantage.

Wheaton climbed to within 5-3 with the benefit of an error that allowed a pair of runs to score in the top of the fifth.

The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they return to the Fortune Road Athletic Complex to play Arcadia University at 9:00 a.m., while Carroll takes on Springfield College in Clermont, Fla. at 9:00 a.m.