Wheaton College (MA)

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Senior starting pitcher Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) knocked in three runs and allowed just one run in the circle to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team to a 9-1 win and a sweep over host Salve Regina University in the second game of a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Toppa Field in Newport.

Wheaton improved to 17-14 overall and 7-9 in the NEWMAC after the win, while Salve Regina fell to 3-31 overall and 0-18 in the NEWMAC. 

Senior righf fielder Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) paced the offense with two hits and three RBI, while junior center fielder Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) hit her third home run in as many games on a 2-2 day that saw her drive in two runs and score three times. First year left fielder Julia Miller (Cheshire, Conn.) went 1-2 with an RBI and a walk. Blankenheim-Brown pitched the complete five inning contest for Wheaton and improved to 9-7 after giving up just four hits and no walks to go with two strikeouts.

First year Ryann Burke (Nutley, N.J.) drove in the only run for Salve Regina, while sophomore Abby Merck (Lorton, Va.) added a hit. Juniors Emma Plourde (Stratham, N.H.) and Emily Cronin (Coventry, R.I.) each added hits as well. Junior Shea Murphy (Westfield, N.J.) received the losing decision to fall to 2-14 on the year while first year Victoria Geisser (Scituate, R.I.) closed out the remaining three innings.

Molinari opened the game with a battle in the batter's box. She came out on top in that opening skirmish as she took Murphy's offering on a full-count over the wall in left center field. Her team-leading sixth home run of the year put the Lyons ahead 1-0. Arcand smacked a single past second base to keep the inning alive, but she was stranded as Murphy escaped the inning. 

Blankenheim-Brown pitched around a hit in the bottom half of the first inning, keeping the momentum with Wheaton. Senior second base Maggie Caron (Boxford, Mass.) led off the second inning with a single to left field before Miller reached base on a walk. Molinari worked a consecutive walk to load the bases for Arcand, who took the first pitch she saw through the gap on the right side to score Caron and Miller. Blankenheim-Brown drove Molinari home with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 Wheaton before she protected the lead she extended with a clean bottom half of the inning. 

Murphy gave way to Geisser in the third inning, and the reliever kept the score the same with a clean frame. Blankenheim-Brown sat down the Seahawks in order to set up a big top of the fourth for Wheaton. Molinari singled to right field before Arcand reached base again with a walk. Both runners advanced after a wild pitch by Geisser, and Blankenheim-Brown brought them both in to score with a single through the left side to make it 6-0 for Wheaton. Burke drove in Cronin with a single in the bottom half of the frame to put the Seahawks on the board, but Wheaton delivered the finishing blow in the following inning. 

Miller started the scoring in the fifth after the Lyons loaded up the bases with two walks and a base hit. Molinari worked an RBI walk to keep the inning alive, and Arcand put the Lyons eight runs ahead of the Seahawks with an RBI base hit. Blankenheim-Brown faced the minimum in the bottom of the fifth to secure the win for Wheaton, and the Lyons returned to Norton with a conference doubleheader sweep in hand.

Wheaton will host University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Wednesday for the final non conference games for both sides at 3:00 p.m. on Clark Softball Field. Salve Regina will host Roger Williams University on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.