WORCESTER, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team dropped a 5-4 decision to host Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the opening game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Rooftop Field in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons fall to 9-6 overall and 0-1 in NEWMAC play, while the Engineers, who received votes in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association/GoRout national poll, improve to 15-0 and 3-0.
WPI scored four runs in the final two innings of play to erase a three-run deficit and escape with the walk-off win to remain perfect on the season. Wheaton scored twice in the top of the second, before the Engineers cut the margin in half with a run in the bottom of the third. The Lyons added two more runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
Wheaton was paced by junior shortstop Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.), who drove in two runs and stole a base, while senior catcher Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.) added an RBI. Junior third base Emma Boucher (Derry, N.H.) was 1-3 with a double and a run scored. Junior starting pitcher Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) took the loss to drop to 4-4 despite going the distance, allowing five runs on 11 hits, while fanning six batters and not issuing a walk in six and two-thirds innings.
Sophomore right fielder Lucy Latour (North Dighton, Mass.) led the Engineers with two hits including a home run and two runs scored, while junior second base Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, N.Y.) homered and drove in two runs. Junior shortstop Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, Mass.) added two hits, and sophomore catcher Ariana Kreuzer (Walpole, MA) delivered a key RBI single as WPI tallied 11 hits. First year Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) earned the win in relief to improve to 8-0, tossing four scoreless innings with three strikeouts after junior Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) started and allowed four runs over three innings.
WPI began its comeback in the sixth when O'Brien launched a solo home run and Kreuzer followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the seventh, first year Stella Kozak (Auburn, N.H.) tied the game with an RBI single before O'Brien lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Latour for the walk-off win.
Wheaton struck first with two runs in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Boucher cracked a lead-off double to the gap in left-center field, before first year designated player Mady Bryan (Halifax, Mass.) drew a four-pitch walk. Dolan delivered an RBI single down the right field line to score Boucher before Bryan came home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Latour cut the deficit in half with a solo home run in the third.
The Lyons loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth and added two more runs to take a 4-1 margin. First year left fielder Julia Miller (Cheshire, Conn.) reached on a bunt single, before senior right fielder Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) drew a walk. Junior second base Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) reached on an infield single to the pitcher to push the sacks full. A Molinari single to right brought home Arcand and Miller for a 4-1 lead.
The teams return to Rooftop Field for game two.
