KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team fell to Loras College, 8-2, this afternoon at Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.
The Lyons dip to 5-1 with their first loss of the season, while the Duhawks improve to 6-2.
The Loras bats produced 13 hits on the day, while its pitching limited Wheaton to a season-low of three.
Junior third base Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) was 1-2 with a double and an RBI for the Lyons, while senior catcher Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.) was 1-3 with a run batted in. Junior shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) contributed with a double in three at-bats to go with a run scored. Junior pitcher Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) suffered her first loss of the season to drop to 2-1 after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits and three walks to go with nine strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings pitched.
Sophomore Kiya Steger (Dyersville, Iowa) provided the big blow for the Duhawks with a three-run homer in three at-bats and added two runs scored and a walk, while junior third base Katherine Svigelj (Crystal Lake, Ill.) was 2-4 with a pair of runs batted in and a run scored. Senior shortstop Ava Franklin (Westchester, Ill.) was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored to chip in for the offense. Senior righty starting pitcher Rachel Peat (Port Barrington, Ill.) picked up the win to improve to 2-0 after giving up two runs on three hits to go with three strikeouts. Steger was outstanding in relief for Loras, retiring all six batters she faced in the final two frames to earn her first save of the season.
The teams traded runs in the second inning for a 1-1 score. Steger and senior right fielder Gillian Jones (Mokena, Ill.) sandwiched walks around a strikeout for Loras, before De La Rosa struck out another batter to put Wheaton an out away from getting out of the jam. Svigelj reached on an error to keep the inning alive and score Steger with the first run of the game.
The Lyons matched the run with one of their own in the bottom of the inning. Senior first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Dolan delivered a one-out single to right field to plate Blankenheim-Brown with the equalizer.
Wheaton took their first and only lead of the contest with a run in the bottom of the fourth to go up, 2-1. Molinari doubled to right center to lead off the inning, before Boucher ripped a one-out RBI double to left to knock in Molinari with the second run of the game for the Lyons.
The Duhawks used the longball to take the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth. Franklin and sophomore designated player Kaili Henning (Fort Dodge, Iowa)) registered back-to-back singles to open the inning. One out later, Steger uncorked a three-run homer to give Loras a 4-2 margin.
The Duhawks erupted for four two-out runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Sophomore first base Alyson Krogman (Mundelein, Ill.) singled, before first year Abigail Cortez (Melrose Park, Ill.) came through with a two-out pinch-double to the right center gap to bring Krogman around to score the fifth run for Loras. First year second base Ellie Baker (Norwalk, Iowa) singled to put runners on the corners and stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Svigelj responded by lacing a single up the middle to plate both runners and increase the Duhawks' advantage to 7-2. Franklin capped the scoring by dumping a single into center field to plate Svigelj with the final run of the contest.
Wheaton returns to the diamond to play Pennsylvania State University Brandywine tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in Kissimmee, Fla, while Loras plays Benedictine University at 9:00 a.m.
