PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team was defeated, 4-1, in the nightcap of a twinbill by host Rhode Island College this evening at Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex in Providence, R.I.
The Lyons drop to 8-4 on the season, while the Anchorwomen up their record to 10-4 with the sweep.
Rhode Island College scored the first three runs of the game with a single run in the bottom of the first and two more in the third, before each team scored a run in the fifth. The Anchorwomen registered nine hits for the game.
Junior center fielder Gabby Reinbold (Sharon, Mass.) led Wheaton with a 1-3 effort that included an RBI double, while senior second base Maggie Caron (Boxford, Mass.) was 1-3 with a run scored. Junior catcher Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) hit safely in both games of the doubleheader and was 1-3 in the second game. Senior starting pitcher Peyton Blakenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) suffered her first loss of the season, dropping to 5-1 after giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and no walks, while fanning three batters for the Lyons.
Sophomore first base Jillian Guilfoyle (Derby, Conn.) paced RIC with a 2-3 outing that saw her knock in a run, while junior left fielder Melanie Earley (Lumberton, N.J.) was 1-2 with a solo home run. Senior second base Noelle Simmons (Goffstown, N.H.) also launched a homer and scored a pair of runs in four at-bats. First year starting pitcher Mia Crudale (Cranston, R.I.) was outstanding, allowing just one run on three hits and one walk to go with seven strikeouts in seven complete innings to improve to 5-0 on the year.
The Anchorwomen took advantage of an error in the bottom of the first to get on the board with the first run of the game. Simmons opened the inning by reaching on a throwing error by the Wheaton shortstop and later went to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored on a ground out to third off the bat of sophomore shortstop Joey Meyer (South Milwaukee, Wis.) to make it 1-0.
Rhode Island College added a pair of runs in the third to increase its lead to 3-0. Simmons put a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence to open the frame and double the home team's margin. Senior center fielder Sophia Crudale (Cranston, R.I.) laced a single up the middle and later scored the third run when Guilfoyle reached on an infield single to the pitcher.
The Lyons got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 3-1. Caron served a single to right-center field and Reinbold followed with a two-out double to the gap in right-center field to plate Caron with Wheaton's only run.
The Anchorwomen got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Earley blasted a solo homer over the left field fence to make it 4-1.
The Lyons return to the diamond on Friday, March 27 when they travel to Springfield, Mass. to take on Western New England University for a 3:00 p.m. twinbill, while RIC heads to Newport, R.I. on March 26 to play two against Salve Regina University at 4:00 p.m.
