Wheaton College (MA)

NORTON, Mass. -- Junior shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) lifted the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team with two RBI as the Lyons topped Springfield College 4-3 in game two of Saturday's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader on Clark softball field.

Wheaton improved to 12-10 overall and 3-5 in the NEWMAC after the win, while Springfield fell to 15-8 overall and 6-4 in the NEWMAC.

Senior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) allowed 12 hits but limited the damage they caused as she allowed only one run. She issued zero free passes and struck out a pair to give her side a great shot at winning. Molinari finished with two hits and two RBI while sophomore Madi Miller (Middle Village, N.Y.) added an RBI of her own.

Springfield was led by senior Kate Katsetos (Brewster, N.Y.) as she went 2-4 with three RBI. Sophomore starting pitcher Julia Rimshnick (Staten Island, N.Y.) tossed the entire game and allowed seven hits for four earned runs. Sophomore Reilly Hunter (Wallingford, Conn.) had two hits and came around to score twice.

The first inning was the busiest of the game as Springfield led off the game with a single. Senior Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) knocked that base hit to start off the contest and was advanced to second by another base hit a batter later. Hunter ended DeRosa's time on the base paths after she grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Wheaton opt to remove the lead runner. Katsetos followed that up with a single of her own which scored Hunter and put Springfield on the board right at the start. 

Wheaton had a response ready, and quickly tied the game as Molinari drove in junior second base Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) to tie the game in the bottom of the first. Blankenheim-Brown helped her cause with an RBI ground out to score Molinari, and Miller drove in Wheaton's third run off a base hit. 

The Lyons produced another run in the bottom of the second with Molinari at the center of the scene once again. This time it was a double that rolled deep into right-center field that drove in Wheaton's fourth run. With a solid lead behind her, Blankenheim-Brown retired the next seven batters she faced in order. 

Katsetos struck again in the top of the fifth after the two batters in front of her reached safely. A single into center field cleared the base paths and drove in two runs, bringing Springfield within a run of their hosts. 

Blankenheim-Brown became the focus of the game as she pitched the remainder with very small margins of error. Despite this, she pitched around a pair of base hits in the sixth and faced the minimum in the seventh to secure the win for Wheaton. 

Wheaton will play again on Wednesday, April 15 as it hosts Roger Williams University for a single game at 3:00 p.m. in Norton. Springfield will also be in action on Wednesday as it hosts Amherst College for an out of conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 pm.