DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Junior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) drove in a pair of runs and allowed just two from the pitching circle to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 5-2 victory to complete a doubleheader sweep over host University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this afternoon at UMD Softball Field in Dartmouth, Mass. 

The Lyons won their sixth straight game to improve to 10-2 on the season, while the Corsairs drop to 10-4.

Wheaton collected 10 hits for its second double-digit output of the day. 

The Lyons scored two runs in the first and three more in the third to take a 5-0 lead, before UMass Dartmouth cracked the scoring column with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. 

Blankenheim-Brown was 2-2 at the plate, including a double, a walk and a run scored for Wheaton. She surrendered four hits and a pair of walks, while striking out five over five innings to improve to 3-1 on the season. Sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) contributed at the plate with a 2-3 effort that included a double and a run scored, while classmate Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) was 1-3 with an RBI, a double and a run scored. 

Junior second base Emma Talpey (Bridgewater, Mass.) was 2-3 with a run scored and senior shortstop Larissa Piessens (Windham, N.H.) was 1-3 with two runs batted in and a double for the Corsairs. First year starting pitcher Edy Crawford (Exeter, N.H.) was saddled with the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits and a pair of walks to go with a strikeout in three innings pitched. 

Seniors Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) and Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) opened the game with a single and a walk, respectively, before moving into scoring position on a ground out. Blankenheim-Brown gave herself a lead right away with a two-run double to left center to plate both runners and provide the Lyons with a 2-0 lead.

Wheaton added three more runs in the third to take a five-run margin. Molinari and Blankenheim-Brown began the frame with back-to-back singles, before Barry ripped a double to left center to bring home Molinari with the third run of the game for the Lyons. Blankenheim-Brown later scored ahead of a single to right field off the bat of sophomore catcher Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.). Senior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.), who rapped out four hits in the first game of the day, continued her hit parade with a single to left center to drive in Barry with the game's fifth run.

UMass Dartmouth scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to three, but it was the only scoring output of the contest for the home team. Sophomore right fielder Olivia Ali (Wrentham, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and Talpey laced a single up the middle, before Piessens delivered a two-out double to the gap in right-center field to bring both runners around to score and put the Corsairs on the board to make it 5-2.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, March 22 when it hosts Rhode Island College for a double-header at Clark Softball Field for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch, while UMass Dartmouth heads to Waltham, Mass. on March 25 for a double dip with Brandeis University at 3:00 p.m.