DePolito's grand slam highlights Wheaton doubleheader sweep of WPI

April 9, 2006

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College junior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) launched a grand slam to highlight a 5-3 victory in game one, and the nationally-ranked Lyons notched a 3-2 win in game two of a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader sweep of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Sunday at Clark Field. The Lyons, who are 12th in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, extended their winning streak to five while improving to 18-7 overall and 7-2 in the league. The Blue and White downed a team which entered today tied for first in the NEWMAC, as the Engineers fell to 17-6 and 4-3.

Wheaton had the best threat through the first four innings of the opener, as the Lyons loaded the bases with one down in the second before WPI induced a pop-up double play. Sophomore Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) held the Engineers in check early on and took a no-hitter into the fifth, where sophomore Briana Dougherty (Woburn, MA/Bishop Fenwick) broke the bid with a leadoff single down the left field line.

In a scoreless deadlock, the Blue and White broke through by plating all five of its runs in the fifth. With runners on second and third and one down, junior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) singled to plate freshman Katelynn Hanewich (Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch), and DePolito unloaded the bases one out later by depositing a 3-1 pitch over the left center field fence for a 5-0 lead.

WPI came right back, scoring three runs on three hits as eight batters came to the plate in the sixth. Freshman Jennifer Richards (Hampstead, NY/Pinkerton Academy) and Dougherty each singled in runs with one down, while junior Shannon O'Connell (Worcester, MA/Saint Peter Marian) came through with a two-out RBI hit. However, Poulton retired the side in order during the seventh to preserve the win.

DePolito finished 2-for-3 while also roping a double. Poulton allowed four singles, three earned runs and two walks while striking out seven. Dougherty was the only other hitter to collect multiple hits during the game, going 2-for-3, while junior Meghan Kelly (Burlington, MA/Burlington) suffered the defeat despite yielding only one earned run on five hits. Kelly walked four and fanned two.

During the back half of the twinbill, Lachance led off the contest with a solo shot to right before the Engineers, who picked up their first hit in the fourth inning, knotted the score on junior Kristen Gervais' (Millbury, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) RBI single with two down in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Lachance led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice, stole third and scored on an illegal pitch with two outs.

Sophomore Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) led off the sixth with her first home run of the spring to give Wheaton a 3-1 edge heading into the seventh, where WPI put together a threat. After an error and a walk opened the inning, the Engineer runners moved up 60 feet on a groundout before the visitors came within 3-2 on a groundout. With a runner on third and two down, Wheaton sophomore hurler Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) induced a fly ball to left that ended the contest.

Neither side produced a player with multiple hits, but Lachance scored two of Wheaton's runs and Hanewich drew a pair of walks. Moynagh yielded one earned run on four hits during her complete-game effort, walking four and fanning five. WPI sophomore Heather Hassett (Oxford, MA/Oxford) allowed all three runs during six innings of work, as she walked six and struck out two.

Wheaton travels to Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 5:00 p.m.

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