NORTON, Mass. – Junior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) was 2-4 with two RBI in a 6-3 game one victory for the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team over visiting Clark University today in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at the Clark Softball Field in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 11-4 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 3-13 and 0-1.

The teams combined for nine errors in the game.

Clark took a 3-1 lead after two innings of play, before Wheaton scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-3 lead, before tacking on a single run in the sixth in game one.

Oliveira paced the Lyons in game one with a 2-4 effort, including a double, two runs scored and two runs batted in, while sophomore center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Junior second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) and junior starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) each stole a base and knocked in a run and with a 1-3 showing. Knopf recorded the complete game victory to improve to 6-1 on the season after giving up three unearned runs on five hits and three walks to go with eight strikeouts in seven frames. 

Senior center fielder Eliza Lindberg (East Chatham, N.Y.) doubled and drove in a run to lead the Cougars' lineup. Junior shortstop Samantha Crowley (Middleboro, Mass.) was 1-4 with a run scored. Senior starting pitcher Nicole Buckley (Hazlet, N.J.) suffered the loss to drop to 0-5 after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks to go with a strikeout in four and a third innings.

Wheaton faced a 3-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the third before scoring twice to knot the contest at 3-3. The Lyons took advantage of a pair of errors to score the first run during their turn at bat during the inning and scored again when Knopf slugged a double to left field to plate DiBacco.

Wheaton added two more runs in the fourth to take the lead for good at 5-3. First year Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk and Agan was hit by a pitch before Oliveira stroked a double to left field to plate both runners with the go-ahead runs.

Arcand worked another leadoff walk in the sixth and scored ahead of an Agan single up the middle to give the Lyons six runs after six innings of play for a three-run margin.

The teams traded a run apiece in the first inning to tie the contest at 1-1. Lindberg reached on an error and later scored when graduate student first base Kaylee Gibson (Northfield, Mass.)  reached on a fielder's choice to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. Wheaton answered with a two-out run in its half of the first. Oliveira and junior catcher Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) each singled before DiBacco reached on an infield single to score Oliveira to pull the home team even.

Clark put two more runs on the board in the second to take a 3-1 lead. First year Emelie Spence (Margate, Fla.) was issued a two-out walk and stole second base and later scored on an error. Lindberg gave the Cougars a two-run lead with an RBI double to left field.