NORTON, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth softball team scored three times in the final two innings to come away with a 4-2 victory over host Wheaton College (Mass.) in the first game of a doubleheader this afternoon at the Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons drop to 4-7 on the season, while the Corsairs improve to 7-6.

Both teams scored single runs in the first inning, before Wheaton took a 2-1 lead after adding a run in the second. UMass Dartmouth scored a pair of runs in the sixth to take a 3-2 edge and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh.

Senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) paced the Lyons at the plate, going 2-3 with a pair of doubles and a run batted in and senior third base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) was 2-3. Junior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) contributed going 1-4 with a double and a run scored. Senior right-hander Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) suffered the loss to drop to 2-3 after giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks, while striking out eight. 

Sophomore third base RaeLynn Perregaux (Torrington, Conn.) was 2-4 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored for the Corsairs, while senior catcher Dyonna Rodas (Warwick, R.I.) and sophomore center fielder Sydney Menz (Stoughton, Mass.) each finished with a double and an RBI. Senior starting pitcher Kaitlyn Shirshac (Enfield, Conn.) earned the victory to improve to 5-4 after allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks to go with four strikeouts. 

UMass Dartmouth took advantage of an error in the top of the sixth to score a pair of runs and take a 3-2 edge. Sophomore second base Emma Talpey (Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on an error and Perregaux singled through the right side, before  advancing to second on the throw to put runners in scoring position with one out. Senior first base Hailey Lyons (Hayden, Idaho) followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Talpey with the game-tying run. Menz dumped a double into right center field to bring home Perregaux with the go-ahead run to make it 3-2.

Wheaton looked to tie it in the bottom half of the inning when senior catcher Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) drew a lead-off walk and went to second on a fielder's choice with two outs. Agan followed with a single to right field, but the throw home beat Ceddia to the plate and kept the Corsairs' lead intact.

UMass Dartmouth added an insurance run in the seventh to take a two-run margin. First year Olivia Silva (Swansea, Mass.) came through with a pinch-single to right field to open the frame, before she was lifted for first year pinch-runner Olivia Ali (Wrentham, Mass.) Two sacrifice bunts later, Ali was on third base and trotted home on a double to center field off the bat of Rodas.

The Corsairs got on the board first with a run in the opening frame of play. Rodas and Talpey worked back-to-back one-out walks, before Perregaux ripped a double down the left field line to bring Rodas around to score the first run of the game.

The Lyons countered in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own to knot the score at 1-1. DiBacco cracked a double to left center field and, an out later, Oliveira traded places with her after launching a two-out double to left.

Wheaton continued its scoring with another run in the second to take a 2-1 edge. Sophomore first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) drew a lead-off walk, went to second on a sacrifice and scored when Agan singled to right and the throw from the right fielder got away, enabling Blankenheim-Brown to take the plate.