NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team's 11-game win streak was snapped in a 4-2 loss to visiting Salve Regina University in the nightcap of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference twinbill this evening at Clark Softball Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons dip to 15-3 overall and 1-1 in NEWMAC play, while the Seahawks improve to 5-11 and 1-1.
Wheaton got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the second, before Salve Regina took the lead for good with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 edge. The visitors added two more runs in the sixth to increase their lead to 4-1, before the Lyons scratched out a run in the seventh.
Wheaton received multiple hits in the lineup from senior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.), who was 2-4 and sophomore second base Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) with a 2-4 effort to go with a stolen base. Sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) tripled and scored in four at-bats and junior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) finished 1-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. She also hurled seven complete innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk to go with a pair of strikeouts. She drops to 5-2 on the year.
Junior starting pitcher Caroline Peterson (Halifax, Mass.) gave up just one earned run over seven innings to lead Seahawks. Peterson gave up two runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out one to earn the victory and improve to 1-2 on the season. First year designated player Ayanna Fernandez (North Haven, Conn.) was 2-4 with a run batted in at the plate for Salve Regina. Senior shortstop Sam Franceschi (East Haven, Conn.) contributed, going 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored and junior right fielder Skylar Wicklund (Riverhead, N.Y.) was 2-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Salve Regina broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. The Seahawks loaded the bases with no outs to start the frame after sophomore catcher Madeleine Oswald (Whippany, N.J.) drew a lead-off walk, senior third base Kylie Lanteri (Berlin, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and Wicklund reached on a bunt single down the third base line. Blankenheim-Brown received a come-backer to the mound to cut down a potential run at the plate, before Franceschi followed with a deep sacrifice fly to center field to bring home the second run and give Salve Regina its first lead of the day. Blankenheim-Brown did well to limit the damage to just one run, inducing a fly out to end the inning.
The Seahawks took advantage of a pair of errors to tack on two insurance runs in the sixth to increase their lead to 4-1. Senior catcher Morganti Bello (Corte Madera, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice and Oswald reached on an error to extend the inning with two outs. Lanteri and Wicklund made the miscue hurt with back-to-back singles to drive in a run each and give the visitors a three-run margin.
The Lyons looked to rally in the bottom of the seventh, but only managed to get one run back. Molinari launched a booming triple to left field and scored on a ground out off the bat of Blankenheim-Brown, but it was the home team's final run of the ballgame.
Wheaton opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Blankenheim-Brown ripped a single to left to open the frame, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball, before scoring on a ground out by first year designated player Madi Miller (Middle Village, N.Y.) to give the Lyons a 1-0 edge.
Salve Regina answered with a run in the fourth to knot the contest at 1-1. Franceschi and senior second base Olivia Saccoccio (Coventry, R.I.) sandwiched singles around an out to put runners on the corners with one out for the Seahawks. Fernandez poked a single through the left side to plate Franceschi and tie the game.
Salve Regina returns to action on Wednesday, April 2 when it hosts University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader, while Wheaton is home with Johnson & Wales University on April 1 for a 3 p.m. twinbill.
