BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Wheaton College softball team swept Lesley University in a pair of non-conference games by scores of 9-1 (five innings) and 7-6 (eight innings) on Sunday afternoon at Clark Field.
In the first game of the afternoon, junior Allison Baker (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional) bumped her record to 4-2 on the season yielding five hits over five innings. Baker gave up one run (earned) in the second inning and struck out three hits while issuing zero walks.
Lesley junior pitcher Jennifer Dorval (Franklin N.H./Franklin) took the loss on three innings, four hits, four runs (all unearned), two walks and two strikeouts.
The Lynx held a 1-0 lead after the first two innings of play as sophomore Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) plated classmate Jodee Doka (Sacramento, Calif./Walford) with an RBI double to right field. Doka singled to center field with two outs in the inning before scoring.
Wheaton forced the mercy rule over the next two frames scoring a combined nine runs on six hits, one error and two runners left on base. In the third inning, freshman Kelly Welch (Wood Dale, Ill./Fenton) doubled home a run and senior Renee Laflam (Concord, N.H./Concord) notched a run-producing single to left field in the next at-bat. Junior Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) drew a bases loaded walk and freshman Emma Hart (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln) and senior Megan Roy (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) both had RBI singles in the fourth to highlight the scoring.
Baker stranded a first and second situation with one out in the fifth on a ground out and a pop out to close out the contest.
In the second half of the doubleheader, sophomore Noelle Christmas (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) earned the win in relief tossing three innings, allowing one run (unearned), no hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Classmate Emily Berardi (Boston, Mass./Boston Latin) was dealt the no-decision in five innings of work. Berardi yielded six hits, five runs (all earned), three walks and two strikeouts.
Junior Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) suffered the loss on seven innings pitched, ten hits, seven runs (five earned), five walks and two punchouts.
In the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded, freshman Erin Deneen (Framingham, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) scratched home the game-winning run with a fielder's choice RBI as senior Alanna Monahan (Dorchester, Mass./Southfield School) beat out the throw at home.
Lesley rallied from a 6-4 deficit with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Lyons trailed 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning before putting up three runs on the scoreboard. Junior Ashley Brillon (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) and Deneen notched back-to-back RBI doubles to tie the score at four-all and Deneen eventually came around to score the go-ahead run in the frame on a single and an error.
Welch went 4-for-6 at the plate with three doubles and five RBI's in the doubleheader sweep while Brillon was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one double and one RBI.
Wheaton (6-6, 0-0 NEWMAC) visits Rhode Island College for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, March 26 with game one scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Lesley University (2-8) travels to Mitchell College on Saturday, March 30 for a doubleheader at noon.