CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Junior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) allowed just two runs over seven complete innings to lead the number five seed Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team over fourth-seeded Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 5-2, this afternoon in the Semifinals of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at host top-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Briggs Field in Cambridge, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 28-14 on the season, while the Engineers fall to 25-16. Wheaton advances to play the loser of the MIT/Babson College game on Saturday, May 10 at 12:00 p.m. in Cambridge. The Lyons' three wins in the NEWMAC Tournament represent their highest victory total in the tourney since the 2005 tournament. 

The Lyons and WPI each scratched out six hits in the game, but the Engineers committed three errors that proved to be costly.

Wheaton scored twice in the top of the first and never trailed in the game. The Engineers got a run back in the bottom of the inning, before the Lyons added two more runs in the second and a run in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. WPI scored the final run of the day in the sixth.

Blankenheim-Brown surrendered six hits and did not walk a batter, while striking out one to raise her record to 10-4 on the season for Wheaton. Senior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) was 2-4 at the plate and knocked in a run to go with a run scored, while senior left fielder Juliette Zito (Woodbridge, Conn.) was 1-4 with three runs scored. Sophomore third base Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) reached base twice with a single and a walk.

Sophomore center fielder Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, N.Y.) led the Engineers, going 2-3 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base and first year right fielder Lucy Latour (North Dighton, Mass.) was 2-3 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored. Sophomore starting pitcher Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, Mass.) suffered the loss to drop to 16-6 after giving up five runs (four unearned) on six hits and walk to go with two strikeouts. 

The Lyons took advantage of two errors, combined with aggressive base running to score a pair of runs in the top of the first to establish a 2-0 margin. Zito reached on an infield error to open the game, before DiBacco beat out a bunt single. Both runners moved into scoring position on a ground out. Zito tagged up and raced home after Blankenheim-Brown lifted a foul pop-up that carried the WPI first base near the Engineers' dugout, before making the catch. DiBacco later scored when Boucher reached on an infield error.

WPI got a run back in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Latour smacked a double to center and stole third base to set up an RBI single off the bat of McKinney to put the Engineers on the board.

Wheaton benefitted from another error in the top of the second and added two more runs to take a 4-1 lead. First year first base Kathryn Copperthite (Branford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch with one out, before Rohon singled to right center. Zito reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to give the Lyons two runners in scoring position with two outs. DiBacco reached on an error by the shortstop and both runners scored to give Wheaton a three-run lead at 4-1. 

Wheaton tacked on an insurance run with two outs in the fourth to increase its cushion to 5-1. Zito beat out an infield single to shortstop and stole second base. DiBacco came through with a single to center field to drive in Zito with the fifth run of the contest for the Lyons.

WPI tallied the final run of the day thanks to back-to-back hits to open the inning. Latour served a lead-off single to center and McKinney ripped a double down the left field line to score Latour with the Engineers' second and last run.