CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The fifth-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team's run came to an end in a 4-3 loss to second-seeded Babson College this afternoon in the Semifinal Round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at top-seeded host Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Briggs Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.
The Lyons' season comes to an end with a 28-15 record for their highest win total since 2015, while the Beavers improve to 26-14 and advance to face MIT for a chance at the NEWMAC crown tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in Cambridge.
All seven runs in the game were scored in the first three innings. Babson did all of its scoring in the bottom of the first inning after Wheaton opened the frame with a run. The Lyons got two runs back in the top of the third to close within 4-3, but neither team scored after that.
The Beavers scored their runs on just six hits in the game.
Senior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 2-4 with a double and two runs scored from the top of the order for Wheaton. She finishes her career among the best ever for the Lyons with 199 career hits to rank ninth, third with 13 triples, fourth with 45 doubles, eighth with 541 at-bats, 54 stolen bases and 283 total bases and 11th with 135 runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) reached base all three times, going 2-2 with a walk, a run batted in and a run scored, while senior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) was 2-3 with her final collegiate contest to finish with 95 career hits. Classmate Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) closed her tenure with 94 career knocks. Junior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) contributed both at the plate and in the circle. She was 1-3 with a double and two RBI, while hurling six complete innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks to go with a strikeout. The righthander was saddled with the loss to drop to 10-5.
Two of Babson's four runs came on sacrifice flies. Both senior shortstop Athena Hadjipanayis (Rye, N.Y.) and first year catcher Belle DiCampello (Pottstown, Pa.) were 1-3 with a run batted in, while sophomore first base Ruby Madia (Princeton Junction, N.J.) was 2-3. Graduate student starting pitcher Cameron Whiteford (Centerville, Md.) earned the win to improve to 13-6 after giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk, while fanning three batters in the first four innings. Graduate student Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) picked up her second save of the year with three shutout innings in relief on five hits, while striking out seven.
Wheaton got on the board with a run in the top of the first to take its only lead of the day at 1-0. Zito belted a double to left to open the game, before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Molinari served a single to center to knock in Zito with the first run.
The Beavers countered with four runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-1 margin. S. Moore beat out a bunt single and stole second to put her into scoring position. Hadjipanayis took advantage of the theft by ripping a single down the left field line to bring Moore around to score the tying run, just two batters into the inning. Sophomore left fielder Emily Walsh (Flemington, N.J.) reached on a fielder's choice and Hadjipanayis was safe on an error, before junior center fielder Sophia Pak (New Rochelle, N.Y.) drew a walk to load the bases. Sophomore designated player Charlotte Raymond (Wrentham, Mass.) sent a sacrifice fly to left field to knock in Hadjipanayis to give Babson the lead for good at 2-1. DiCampello followed with a run-scoring single to center and first year third base Maddy DeLong (Cranford, N.J.) registered the second sacrifice fly of the inning to plate Pak with the fourth run.
The Lyons took advantage of an error in the third to score a pair of runs and cut the deficit to 4-3. Zito reached on an infield error and Molinari worked a walk to bring up Blankenheim-Brown with two outs. The pitcher delivered with a double to right center to drive in both runners to make it a one-run game.
The Beavers did not threaten to score for the remainder of the game, but Wheaton had a couple of chances.
The Lyons put runners on corners with two outs in the fifth on singles from Rohon and Molinari, but O'Reilly was able to get a swinging strikeout to end the rally. Wheaton's second opportunity came in the top of the seventh. Rohon opened the frame by punching a single to right field and Zito followed with a double to center field. Rohon came into third with a full head of steam and rounded the bag with Zito trailing at second base. Zito was caught too far off second and the right fielder connected with the shortstop for the tag play, meanwhile, Rohon broke for home, but was caught in a rundown that resulted in the second out of the play to clear the bases. O'Reilly retired the final Wheaton batter on strikes to end the game.
