DePolito homers twice, Loudenburg moves within one of 500 wins

April 13, 2007

NEW LONDON, CT- Senior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) homered twice in the opener, and head coach Gina Loudenburg moved within one win of 500 for her career during the Wheaton College softball team's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader sweep of the United State Coast Guard Academy, 7-5 and 7-2 on Friday. Wheaton improved to 19-11 overall and 9-3 in the league while moving into second place. The Lyons have won 13 of its last 16, while Coast Guard is 10-16 and 4-8.

Game one was highlighted by early-inning offense, as the teams were tied at five after two frames. Wheaton senior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) doubled to lead off the game and scored on sophomore Stacey Kelleher's (Brockton, MA/Brockton) one-out single before DePolito went deep to right field to make it 3-0. Coast Guard countered with two runs in the bottom of the first, as sophomore Jeannie Crump (Roseville, CA) smacked an RBI triple before scoring on a wild pitch.

Wheaton went back to work the next inning, as Lachance keyed a two-run frame with an RBI triple. However, the hosts knotted the contest in the bottom half with a trio of unearned runs, as Crump provided a big blow with a two-out, two-run double before the Bears tied it on an illegal pitch. The Lyons took the lead for good the next inning, though, as DePolito launched her second home run of the contest, this one beyond the left field fence. Junior Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) smacked an RBI single in the seventh to make it 7-5.

Junior Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) settled down after Coast Guard plated its five runs, tossing 4.2 consecutive no-hit innings at one point with eight strikeouts before running into trouble in the seventh. With one down, the Bears used a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases, but freshman third baseman Merry MacDonald (Braintree, MA/Braintree) scooped up a ground ball, stepped on third and fired across the diamond to DePolito at first base to record a game-ending double play.

DePolito finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs while moving into fourth place on Wheaton's career home run list (19). Lachance went 2-for-4, sophomore Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) doubled, and MacDonald stole a pair of bases. Moynagh yielded one earned run while fanning nine and walking four during her six-hitter. Crump was 3-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles and a triple for Coast Guard, while sophomore Annette Boston (Oceanside, CA) went 2-for-4. Senior Colleen Perry (Norwalk, CT) received the loss after giving up five earned runs, nine hits and four walks while striking out two.

In the nightcap, Wheaton took a 7-0 lead by the fifth and never looked back. Lachance's third-inning RBI single put the Lyons up for good, and four runs came across in the fourth on consecutive two-run singles by each MacDonald and Lachance. The Blue and White added two more runs in the fifth inning before Bear sophomore Katie Murray (Bloomfield Hills, MI) doubled and stole home in the bottom half. Freshman Carin Sweeney (Woodbury, ME) provided an RBI double the following frame, but Wheaton freshman hurler Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) set down six of the final seven batters.

Lachance finished 3-for-3 with three RBI, while DePolito was 2-for-4 with a double. MacDonald scored twice and drove in a pair, while junior Meredith Gorton (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) smacked a double. Bagley allowed six hits and only one earned run while striking out five batters and walking none. Sweeney had two hits, including a double, and Murray gave up six earned runs in five innings while walking three and striking out two.

The Lyons resume NEWMAC play tomorrow with a home doubleheader against Clark University at 12:00 p.m. Following the twinbill, Wheaton will honor the 1997 team, which became the first to reach the College World Series. Loudenburg enters the day one win short of becoming the 15th coach in Division III history with 500.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/13/07.
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Upcoming Schedule

7-12-Mar Sat-Thu Spring Trip N TBA
19-Mar Thu Bridgewater St. (2) H 3:00pm
21-Mar Sat Coast Guard (2) H 12:00pm