KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Senior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) twirled a five-hit shutout and junior shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) blasted a two-run homer to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 4-0 win over Thomas College (Maine) today at Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.
The Lyons improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Terriers drop to 1-2.
Wheaton scored a run in the second and three more in the sixth inning to put the game away.
Blankenheim-Brown was outstanding, allowing just five hits and one walk for the Lyons, while striking out five over seven complete innings to improve to 1-0 on the season. She was also 1-3 at the plate. Molinari was 1-2 with two runs batted in and a run scored, while junior center fielder Gabby Reinbold (Sharon, Mass.) was 1-3 with an RBI. Junior third base Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) contributed, going 1-1 with a run scored.
Sophomore third base Maeve Hickok (Madbury, N.H.) paced Thomas at the plate, going 2-3, while sophomore pitcher Brooke Smith (Baileyville, Maine) was 1-2. Smith also tossed the final five and a third innings and fell to 0-1 after allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in addition to striking out four batters.
Wheaton got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Boucher was hit by a pitch to open the frame, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third base. Reinbold punched a two-out single to right field to plate Boucher with the game's first run.
The Lyons wasted no time adding runs in the sixth to take a 4-0 lead. Senior second base Maggie Caron (Boxford, Mass.) opened the frame with a single to left and came around to score on Molinari's first long ball of the season to give Wheaton a 3-0 margin. Blankenheim-Brown followed with a single to center, before being lifted for first year pinch-runner Lauren Kelley (Newton, Mass.). Boucher was hit by a pitch and senior first base Brittany Dost (Centereach, N.Y.) singled to right to load the bases with no outs. Senior catcher Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.) delivered a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Kelley with the Lyons' fourth run of the contest.
Wheaton returns to the diamond tomorrow when it plays Ohio Northern University at 9:00 a.m. at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex, while the Terriers play Benedictine University tomorrow at 11:15 a.m.
