WORCESTER, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team scored four runs in the final two innings, including a two-run home run from senior third base Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.), to earn a comeback victory over host Worcester Polytechnic Institute and gain a twinbill sweep in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play this evening at Rooftop Field in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 20-15 overall and 13-5 in league play for their highest conference win total since they were 17-1 in 2015. The Engineers dip to 20-16-1 and 11-7.
WPI scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first, before Wheaton scored three times in the second to take a 3-1 margin. The Engineers tied the game with two runs in the third and took a 4-3 edge after a run in the fifth. The Lyons pulled even with a run in the sixth and put the game away with a three-run seventh.
Agan's only hit of the game was the homer, but it was one of the biggest of her season for Wheaton. Junior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 2-4 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored from the top of the line-up, while first year second base Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) was 1-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored. Sophomore Brittany Dost (Centereach, N.Y.) picked up the victory to improve to 2-1 with three innings of one-run ball on four hits and no walks in three innings of relief.
Sophomore first base Emma Nagy (Monroe, Wash.) paced the WPI bats with a 3-4 effort, including a home run, a double, an RBI and a run scored. First year second base Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, N.Y.) also homered and was 2-3 with a run batted in and a run scored. Junior Shaina Lazarus (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) suffered the loss to drop to 7-3 after allowing four runs on four hits to go with a pair of strikeouts in five innings of work.
The Lyons faced a one-run deficit heading into the top of the sixth, but took advantage of a hit batter and a wild pitch to even the score. Sophomore first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to tie a school-record and open the frame. She later moved to second on a wild pitch. Junior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) ripped a two-out single to left field to drive in Blankenheim-Brown with the equalizer to make it 4-4.
Wheaton brought the big bats for the seventh with Zito smacking a lead-off double to center, before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. Molinari reached on an infield single, while Zito scampered home with the go-ahead run. Agan gave the visitors some breathing room with her first long ball of the season to increase the Lyons lead to 7-4.
Nagy clubbed a one-out double to center in the bottom of the frame for the Engineers, but the extra-base hit proved to be harmless as Dost retired the next two batters to secure the win for Wheaton.
WPI broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 edge after loading the bases with two outs. Senior center fielder Sydney Russell (Arlington, Va.) drew a lead-off walk, before first year shortstop Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, Mass.) reached with a single and O'Brien worked a walk to load the sacks. Senior catcher Kallie Case (Phoenix, Ariz.) was plunked with a pitch to force in the first run of the game.
Blankenheim-Brown was hit by a pitch to open top of the second, before senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) reached on an infield single. Blankenheim-Brown scored on an error and Zito knocked in another run with a ground out to give the Lyons the edge. First year designated player Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) followed with a two-out infield single to plate another run and give Wheaton a 3-1 margin.
One out into the third inning, O'Brien and Nagy belted back-to-back solo homers to tie the game for the Engineers. O'Brien and Nagy were in the middle of another scoring effort for WPI in the fifth inning. O'Brien and Nagy registered consecutive singles, before O'Brien was lifted on the bases for sophomore pinch-runner Liz Jordan (Yardley, Pa.). Both runners moved into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt and Jordan scored on a ground out to restore a one-run lead for the Engineers at 4-3.
The Lyons return to the diamond tomorrow when they host NEWMAC foe Emerson College for a NEWMAC twinbill on Senior Day at Clark Softball Field at 12:00 p.m., while WPI heads to Babson Park, Mass. to take on league foe Babson College for a Noon doubleheader as well.
