KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Loras College softball team broke a 1-1 tie after seven innings, outscoring Wheaton College (Mass.) 4-2 in the extra frame to come away with a 5-3 victory this afternoon at the Fortune Road Sportsplex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.

The Lyons fall to 6-2 on the season, while the Duhawks improve to 4-2.

The contest was a classic pitcher's duel through seven frames with each team scoring its lone run in the fourth inning and allowing just two hits each in seven innings. The only blemish during the first seven frames was three errors for Loras and two for Wheaton, but the Lyons committed two more in the eighth that proved costly. The teams combined for just 11 hits total with seven of those coming in the eighth inning, including four for Wheaton and three for the Duhawks.

Junior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) and junior starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) each knocked in a run for the Lyons, while sophomore right fielder Emme Conley (Riverside, R.I.) went 2-4 at the dish. Knopf suffered her first loss of the season, dropping to 3-1 after giving up five runs (two earned) on five hits and five walks to go with five strikeouts in eight innings pitched.

Senior Grace Houghton (Marengo, Ill.) drove in two runs for Loras, including a solo home run that staked the Duhawks claim to extra innings, while senior third base Jadyn Anderson (St. Ansgar, Iowa) was 1-3 with a two-run double and a walk. Sophomore center fielder Morgan Machovec (DeWitt, Iowa) reached base twice with a single and a walk in four plate appearances for Loras. First year starting pitcher Rachel Peat (Port Barrington, Ill.) recorded the victory to improve to 2-0 on the year after surrendering three runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks in addition to a pair of strikeouts.

The Duhawks scored four times in the top of the eighth to take a 5-1 lead after runs were at such a premium through the first seven innings. First year Ava Franklin (Westchester, Ill.) was placed on second base per international tie breaker rule to begin the eighth, before senior right fielder Abby Jones (Trevor, Wis.) singled and moved to second to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Houghton grounded a ball to the infield, but the throw home was dropped and Franklin scored the go-ahead run to give Loras a 2-1 edge. Anderson followed with her two-run double to left field to increase the Duhawks margin to 4-1 and later scored on an error to give Loras a four-run lead.

Knopf began the eighth on second base for Wheaton and came around to score with two outs when sophomore left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) punched a single to right field to cut the deficit to 5-2. Conley reached on an infield single to shortstop to advance Zito to second before Oliveira came through with a run-scoring single to center field to plate Zito and pull the Lyons within 5-3. That would be the last run of the day for Wheaton as its five-game win streak came to an end.

Houghton broke a scoreless tie with her first home run of the season coming with one out in the top of the fourth inning. The Lyons matched the run in their half of the fourth when junior designated player Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) reached base on an error and Knopf helped her own cause by delivering Ceddia to the plate with the tying run on a single to center field with two outs.

Wheaton returns to the diamond on Thursday, March 16 when it plays Amherst College in Kissimmee, Fla. at 2:00 p.m., while the Duhawks take on Farmingdale State College on March 15 at 9:00 a.m. in Kissimmee, Fla.