KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Junior starting pitcher Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) was brilliant, tossing a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and senior catcher Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.) knocked in the only run to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 1-0 victory over Ohio Northern University this morning at Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of The Spring Games.
The Lyons improve to 3-0 on the season, while the Polar Bears fall to 0-1 in their season opener. The shutout marks the third straight game that Wheaton has not allowed a run to mark the first three-game streak of shutouts since the Lyons blanked United States Coast Guard Academy by the same 12-0 score in both ends of a doubleheader on April 3, 2015 and followed with a 13-0 win over Clark University the next day. It's also the first time in school history that the Blue and White have begun the season without allowing a run through the first three games.
De La Rosa allowed just one walk over seven complete frames to improve to 2-0 on the season. She has walked just one batter in 14 innings this season, while setting down 22 on strikes in 14 innings. Dolan finished 2-3 at the plate to pace Wheaton's offense, while senior right fielder Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) was 1-2 with a walk. First year left fielder Julia Miller (Cheshire, Conn.) was 1-2 on the day.
Junior right fielder Carlie Schroeder (Wapakoneta, Ohio) led Ohio Northern with a 2-3 outing, while first year Alexa Ray was 1-1. First year starting pitcher Brooklyn Osterloh (Minster, Ohio) was outstanding in her collegiate debut, surrendering just one run on five hits and four walks to go with six strikeouts in six complete innings.
The Lyons broke the scoreless stalemate in the bottom of the sixth to take a 1-0 margin. Junior shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk, before senior first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) singled to left to push Molinari to second. Osterloh retired the next two Wheaton batters, before Dolan came through with a single to center field to plate Molinari with the eventual game-winning score.
Meanwhile, De La Rosa had retired 10 in a row from the circle entering the top of the seventh for the Lyons, but the Polar Bears threatened to even the game with runners on first and second with one out. De La Rosa fanned the next hitter and induced a ground out to herself to end the game.
Wheaton plays again later today when it takes on Montclair State University at 11:30 a.m., while Ohio Northern plays North Park University later in the day.
