NORTON, Mass. — Senior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) hit a walk-off single and sophomore starting pitcher Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) allowed just one run on five hits to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Rhode Island College this afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 11-2 on the season, while the Anchorwomen dip to 8-5.

The teams combined for just eight hits, including three for Wheaton. Each team scored a single run in the opening frame and were both scoreless for the next five innings until the Lyons scored the winning tally in the bottom of the seventh.

Rohon was 1-2 with a walk for Wheaton, while De La Rosa did not allow a walk and struck out a batter in seven complete innings to improve to 6-1 on the season. Junior first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) was 1-2 with a double, a run scored and a walk, while senior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 1-3 with a double and a run scored. 

Senior shortstop Amanda Conti (Lincoln, R.I.) paced Rhode Island College at the plate, going 2-3 with a run scored and junior second base Noelle Simmons (Goffstown, N.H.) was 1-3 with a run batted in. Senior right-handed starting pitcher Abby Kidd (Granby, Conn.) was saddled with the loss to drop to 4-2 after surrendering two runs on just three hits and three walks to go with four strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings pitched.

Blankenheim-Brown opened the bottom of the seventh with a double for the Lyons and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Rohon stepped in from the right side with two outs and lifted a ball to right field, where a strong wind made sure that it would elude the RIC right fielder and hit the fence to bring home Blankenheim-Brown with the winning run. The RBI knock was the second walk-off single for Rohon this season.

The teams traded runs in the first to establish a 1-1 tie for much of the game. Conti laced a leadoff single up the middle before moving to second on a wild pitch. One out later, Simmons served a single to left field to bring Conti around to score the first run of the contest. 

Wheaton matched the run in the bottom of the inning. Zito belted a double to center field, advanced to second on a bunt and scored when sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) ripped a pitch off the pitcher, which ricocheted to the first baseman for the out, but Zito was able to score the equalizer on the play.

The teams will meet again today at 2:00 p.m. for the nightcap.