KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Junior catcher Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) singled to bring home the eventual winning run and sophomore Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Mass.) was 2-4 with a double and a run batted in to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 4-3 victory over Amherst College this afternoon at the Fortune Road Sportsplex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.

The Lyons improve to 7-2 on the season, while the Mammoths fall to 5-2.

Wheaton scored three times in the top of the third inning and held Amherst scoreless until the Mammoths hit a solo home run in the sixth. Amherst scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings before the Lyons scored the deciding run in the eighth.

Zito also scored a run in the game for Wheaton. Junior second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) was 1-3 with a run batted in, while Ceddia also finished with the same line. Junior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) turned in a 1-4 effort with an RBI and a run scored. First year starting pitcher Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) went the distance to gain the win and improve to a perfect 4-0 for the Lyons, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts in eight complete frames.

Junior second base Randi Finkelstein (Merrick, N.Y.) paced the Amherst offense going 2-4 with a solo homer. Sophomore relief pitcher Dani Torres Werra (Merced, Calif.) was 2-2 with a run batted in and was outstanding in relief, giving up just one unearned run on four hits and no walks, while fanning three batters in four innings, but picked up the loss to fall to 1-2. Senior first base Audrey Orlowski (Bentonville, Ark.) was 1-2 with a double and senior center fielder Rachel Lovejoy (Atlanta, Ga.) knocked in a run with a single.

Wheaton held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Mammoths rapped out three hits and took advantage of a wild pitch to score a pair of runs and knot the game at 3-3. Werra and senior left fielder Megan Taketa (Redmond, Wash.) each singled, before Lovejoy ripped a two-out single to center field to plate Werra and cut the deficit to 3-2. Taketa scampered to third on the single and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3.

The Lyons scored the eventual game-winning run in the eighth. Oliveira was placed on second base to start the frame as dictated by the international tie-breaker rule, before Ceddia put down a bunt that hopped over the diving Amherst first base, allowing Oliveira to score and Ceddia to be credited with an RBI single. Sophomore center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) later followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out, but Werra was able to get out of the inning with no further damage. 

Senior shortstop Autumn Lee (Pacific, Wash.) was placed on second to start the Mammoths' half of the eighth and junior third base Sadie Pool (Yorba Linda, Calif.) reached on an error and stole second to put runners in scoring position. Arcand settled down and retired the final three batters on infield pop-ups to secure the win for Wheaton.

The Lyons scored three runs on four hits to open the game's scoring in the third inning. Junior left fielder Allison Weston (West Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore right fielder Emme Conley (Riverside, R.I.) smacked back-to-back singles to open the inning to set up Zito for an RBI single to right field to drive in Weston with Wheaton's first run. Conley and Zito both moved into scoring position on the throw home to keep the pressure on. Agan lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Conley with the second run before an Oliveira single to center field brought home Zito to give the Lyons a 3-0 lead.

Amherst got a run back in the sixth on the solo homer from Finkelstein to cut the deficit to 3-1. 

Wheaton returns to action at 4:30 p.m. to take Ramapo College, while the Mammoths play Meredith College at the same time.