KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, but Plymouth State University rallied for five runs and came away with a 6-2 victory this afternoon at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of the Spring Games.
The Lyons dip to 1-2 on the season, while the Panthers improve to 2-2.
Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third before Plymouth State scored five times in the top of the fifth. The teams traded single runs in the seventh inning.
The Lyons had scoring chances during the game, but left 13 runners on base.
Junior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks, while knocking in a run for Wheaton. Junior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 1-3 with a double and a walk and senior second base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) was 2-4 with a run scored. Senior right-handed starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) took the loss to drop to 1-1 after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings of work.
Sophomore center fielder Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) led the Panthers at the plate, going 2-3 with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs, while first year left fielder Avery Couch (Fort Worth, Texas) was 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Sophomore Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) picked up the win to improve to 1-0 on the season after giving up just one unearned run on five hits and five walks to go with a strikeout. Sophomore Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) earned a save in relief after hurling two and a third innings and yielding a run on three hits in addition to striking out a batter.
Plymouth State faced a one-run deficit heading into the top half of the fifth before first year catcher Kennedy Michaud (Auburn, N.H.) and junior third base Kaity Montelong (South Paris, Maine) each drew walks in the inning and moved into scoring position ahead of a two-out, two-run double off the bat of Bessette to give the Panthers a 2-1 edge. Couch traded places with her with a double to right field to make it 3-1. Junior first base Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) reached on an error and both she and Couch came around to score ahead of a double to right off the bat of Nezuch to help her own cause and give the Panthers a four-run lead.
Plymouth State tacked on another run in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead. Montelong reached on a bunt single to lead off the frame and stole second base. Bessette came through again for the Panthers with her second double to score Montelong with the sixth Plymouth State run.
The Lyons looked to rally in the bottom of the inning, but came away with just one run. Agan smacked a lead-off single to right field, before sophomore designated player Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) cracked a double to left field to put both runners in scoring position. Rohon flied out to center field on a sacrifice fly to plate Agan, but it was the last run of the contest.
Wheaton got on the board first when it took advantage of an error to take a 1-0 edge. Junior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) worked a one-out walk followed by a single to left from senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.). DiBacco later scored on an error to give the Lyons the lead.
Wheaton returns to action today at 6:00 p.m. when it returns to Fortune Road to take on Catholic University at 6:00 p.m., while Plymouth State plays Rutgers University-Camden later today.
