Wheaton narrowly drops pair of contests at 24th-ranked RIC

March 27, 2007

PROVIDENCE, RI- The Wheaton College softball team received strong pitching performances from junior Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) and freshman Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro), but the Lyons fell twice at nationally-ranked Rhode Island College, 3-1 and 2-1 on Tuesday at the Bazar Softball Complex. Wheaton is now 6-8, while the Anchorwomen, who are 24th in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, improved to 8-2.

The Lyons scratched out only two hits in the opener, both by senior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy). After Rhode Island College junior Christie Lotti (Waterford, CT/Waterford) led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored following two sacrifice bunts, DePolito doubled with one down in the top of the following inning. One out later, sophomore Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) capped an 11-pitch at bat by reaching on an error to plate DePolito and knot the game.

However, the hosts took the lead back in the third inning, as freshman Michelle Perrin (Saugus, MA/Saugus) beat out an RBI single with two down despite junior second baseman Meredith Gorton's (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) diving effort that kept the ball in the infield. DePolito singled with one down in the fourth to move sophomore Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) to third base before stealing second, but the Lyons' threat was squelched when the Anchorwomen converted a popped-up bunt into a double play. Wheaton went hitless during the final three innings, while the hosts tacked on an insurance run on a sixth-inning groundout.

Moynagh yielded seven hits, including five singles, during six innings while walking only one. Rhode Island College senior Nicole Riley (North Providence, RI/North Providence) went the route for her 54th career win, which broke the program record. The Lyons snapped her 34.1-inning shutout streak when DePolito scored.

In game two, it was the Lyons who broke out on top first. Wheaton had at least one base runner in each of the first five innings, cashing in during the third when Cotto reached on a leadoff error and came around on senior Nicole Lachance's (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) triple into the right field gap.

Bagley held the hosts without a hit until there were two down in the third inning, when senior Kristyn Alexander (East Wareham, MA/Wareham) shot an RBI single up the middle to break up the no-hit bid and end the shutout. Rhode Island College was aided by a pair of Wheaton errors in the frame but plated just the one run.

Wheaton escaped a pair of jams in each the fifth and sixth innings, as Anchorwomen occupied first and second with no outs but were stranded in both instances. Freshman third baseman Merry MacDonald (Braintree, MA/Braintree) was involved in a pair of fielder's choices that keyed ending the fifth-inning rally, and MacDonald's toss to first put an end to Rhode Island College's sixth inning.

The hosts ended the game quickly in walk-off fashion during the seventh. Lotti led off with a double into the left field gap, where junior left fielder Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) nearly hauled the ball in with an over-the-shoulder catch as she sprinted toward the fence. Five pitches later, Perrin sent a game-winning RBI single up the middle.

Bagley ended up allowing eight hits, including seven singles, in six-plus innings while walking only one batter. Lachance finished 2-for-3 out of the leadoff spot. Riley pitched all seven innings, allowing five hits.

The Lyons have a couple days off before beginning their New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) slate on Friday with a doubleheader at Smith College at 3:30 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 3/30/07.
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