KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Sophomore starting pitcher Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) hurled a one-hit shutout and sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) was 3-4 with two runs batted in to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team over Pennsylvania State University Berks, 4-0, this morning in the season opener for both teams at Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.
The Lyons improve to 1-0 on the season, while the Nittany Lions dip to 0-1.
The Wheaton lineup rapped out nine hits in the game.
De La Rosa faced just one batter over the minimum for the Lyons, retiring the first 12 batters she faced before surrendering a single to the first hitter she saw in the bottom of the fifth. The right-hander set down the final nine batters in order to close out the game. De La Rosa struck out eight, including at least one punch-out in all but one inning, and did not allow a walk in seven complete innings. Molinari added a run scored and a stolen base to her season debut, while senior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) matched Molinari's hit output with three singles in four at-bats to go with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Junior catcher Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.) was 1-3 with an RBI and junior first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) was 1-3 with a double for the only extra-base hit of the contest.
Senior third base Peyton Vivian (Newark, Del.) collected the only hit of the day for Penn. State Berks with a single. Sophomore starting pitcher Paige Brightwell (Pittstown, N.J.) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits, while fanning four batters and did not issue a free pass in seven frames.
Wheaton got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Molinari opened the inning with an infield single to shortstop, before stealing second base. Blankenheim-Brown reached on a fielder's choice when the Nittany Lions shortstop tried to get Molinari at third, but without success to put runners on the corners. Blankenheim-Brown stole second to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. First year designated player Madi Miller (Middle Village, N.Y.) followed with a ground out to third to register her first collegiate run batted in, knocking in Molinari with the game's first run. Dolan ripped a single to center to plate Blankenheim-Brown with the second run of the inning for a 2-0 Lyon lead.
Wheaton tacked on single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to take a 4-0 margin. Zito laced a lead-off single to center field, before stealing second base to open the fifth. She moved to third on a ground out, before scoring when Molinari tapped out to the pitcher on an excuse-me swing with a full count to increase the advantage to 3-0. Zito and Molinari combined to add the Lyons' final run in the seventh for a 4-0 lead. Zito stroked a single to left, swiped her second stolen base of the day and came around to score when Molinari served a single to left field, before being thrown out at second trying to stretch the knock into a double.
Wheaton returns to the diamond at Fortune Road to take on North Central College (Ill.) at 11:30 a.m., while the Nittany Lions play Ursinus College at 11:15 a.m.
