CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team dropped the second game of a doubleheader to host Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 13-7, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference action at Briggs Field in Cambridge, Mass.
The Lyons slip to 19-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play, while the Engineers complete the sweep and improve to 13-5 and 4-2.
MIT collected double-digit hits for the second straight game with 12. Every starter in the line-up collected at least one knock. The home team took advantage of six Wheaton errors as well.
The Engineers scored three times in the bottom of the first, before the Lyons roared back with four runs in the top of the third to take a 4-3 edge. MIT matched the output with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame and added another run in the fifth to take an 8-4 advantage. Wheaton closed to within two runs with two more in the sixth, but the Engineers added five runs in the bottom of the inning to increase their lead to 13-6.
Senior Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) paced the Lyons at the plate, going 2-3 with two runs scored, a double, a walk and a run batted in, while first year designated player Madi Miller (Middle Village, N.Y.) knocked in a pair of runs and was 1-3 with a run scored. Sophomore second base Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) smacked a double as part of a 2-2 effort with two runs scored and a walk and sophomore catcher Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) reached base safely on four occasions with two singles and a pair of walks. Junior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) was charged with the loss to fall to 7-3 after giving up 13 runs (four earned) on 12 hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in six full innings.
Junior catcher Olivia Scarpaci (Staten Island, N.Y.) was 2-4 with a triple, three RBI and a run scored, while first year third base Maggie Feng (Brookfield, Wis.) homered and drove in three runs to pace MIT. Senior second base Mackenzie Bivin (San Diego, Calif.) contributed with a 2-4 day that included a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Arianna Kumar (San Diego, Calif.) was 1-3 with two runs batted in, a double, a walk and a run scored. Junior reliever Caroline Langmeyer (Upper Arlington, Ohio) picked up her second win of the day, giving up three runs on four hits and four walks in relief in addition to fanning two batters in four and a third innings to improve to 7-1 on the year.
The Engineers erased a 4-3 deficit with a four-run third to take the lead for good at 7-4. Senior right fielder Kennedy Adkison (San Jose, Calif.) led off the inning with a single to right field, before Bivin reached on an infield error. Junior Ava Ladd (Austin, Texas) served a single to left to bring home Adkison and knot the game at 4-4. Bivin later scored on a ground out and Feng homered over the right field fence to add two more runs to MIT's total and give the home team a 7-4 margin.
The Engineers tacked on a run in the fourth to bump their lead to 8-4. Senior first base Mikayla Cable (Valrico, Fla.) doubled to center to lead off the frame, stole third and scored on an infield single off the bat of Bivin.
Wheaton scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to close within 8-6, but MIT countered with five in the bottom of the inning to take a 13-6 cushion.
Miller drew a lead-off walk for the Lyons, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a double to center from Zito. Zito later scored when sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) ripped a single to right field to make it a two-run game.
Wheaton committed three straight infield errors with one out in the bottom of the inning to lead to a pair of runs for the Engineers. Kumar belted an RBI double and Scarpaci followed with an RBI triple to center, before scoring on a sacrifice fly to give MIT a seven-run advantage.
The Lyons got a run back in the top of the seventh when Barry opened the inning with a double and later scored on a fielder's choice.
The Engineers scored the first three runs of the game to take a 3-0 lead. First year center fielder Delaney Benevides (Plainville, Mass.) laid down a bunt single from the left side to open the inning and Adkison reached on an infield error to put a pair of runners on base. Bivin ripped a double down the line to plate the first run of the game for MIT. Scarpaci made the error hurt with a two-run, two-out single to give the Engineers a three-run advantage.
Wheaton took its only lead of the afternoon after rallying for four runs in the top of the third to take a 4-3 edge. Senior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southbury, Conn.) opened the inning with a base on balls and Zito followed with a bunt single with both runners moving into scoring position following a throwing error on the play. Senior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly and Rohon scampered home with the Lyons' first run of the game. Molinari followed with a walk and Zito later scored on a fielder's choice from Blankenheim-Brown. Barry and Boucher put together back-to-back infield hits to load the bases for Miller, who came through with an RBI single to center to knot the game at 3-3 and keep the sacks full. First year Sangeeta Vaidya (Sunnyvale, Calif.) drew a walk to push in the go-ahead run for Wheaton and give the Lyons a one-run lead.
Wheaton returns to action on Monday, April14 when it travels to Babson Park, Mass. to play NEWMAC foe Babson College in a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader, while the Engineers head to Springfield, Mass. on April 13 for a conference twinbill with Springfield College at 1:00 p.m.
