WELLESLEY, Mass. – Senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) knocked in three runs to help lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 5-2 victory over host Wellesley College this afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Wellesley Softball Field in Wellesley, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 18-14 overall and 11-4 in league play, while the Blue fall to 13-20 and 5-12.

Wellesley out-hit Wheaton, 9-7, but the Lyons took advantage of five walks and Blue miscue. Wheaton scored single runs in the first and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead, before scoring three times in the sixth to open up a five-run lead. Wellesley scored both of its runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Oliveira was 1-4 with a double and a run scored for the Lyons, while junior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 2-4 and first year second base Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored. Senior third base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) contributed with an RBI double and a run scored. Senior starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Norton, Mass.) hurled a seven-inning complete game victory to improve to 9-5 on the year, while allowing two runs on nine hits and two walks. 

First year third base Emily Kulhanek (Newbury Park, Calif.) paced the Blue offense, going 2-3 with a double and a run scored and sophomore shortstop Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.) was 2-3 with a stolen base. Junior starting pitcher Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) suffered the loss to drop to 4-6 after giving up two runs on four hits and three walks to go with three strikeouts in five innings of work. 

Wheaton got on the board with a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 edge. Molinari kept the inning alive with a two-out single down the right field line, before Agan smacked a double to center to drive in the first run of the day. 

The Lyons added another run in the fourth to double their lead to 2-0. Molinari drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and first year first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) put runners on the corners with a single through the left side for the visitors. Oliveira reached on a fielder's choice, while Molinari scampered home with the second run of the game for Wheaton. 

The Lyons got some breathing room with three runs in the sixth to take a 5-0 advantage. Agan and Blankenheim-Brown opened the frame with back-to-back walks, before Oliveira delivered with a  double to the left-center gap to drive in both runners and give Wheaton a four-run margin. Oliveira later scored on an error to make it 5-0.

Wellesley broke into the scoring column with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 5-2. Sophomore Chiara Lundin (Piedmont, Calif.) ripped a single down the left field line, before Kulhanek belted a double to center field to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Lundin scored on a ground out and Kulhanek came home with the second run ahead of an RBI single off the bat of senior pinch-hitter Julz Vargas (Los Angeles, Calif.).

The Blue put a runner on third base in the seventh, but was unable to push across any more runs in the loss.