Lyons see winning streak end, fall in both ends of doubleheader to RIC

March 27, 2008

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College softball team succumbed to a doubleheader sweep at the hands of 2007 College World Series qualifier Rhode Island College on Thursday, falling 3-2 in eight innings and 3-0 on Clark Field. The Lyons, who are receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, slipped to 13-3, while the Anchorwomen have now won nine of their last 10 games in improving to 12-4.

In the opener, the teams traded offensive threats during the first three innings, as Rhode Island College had three different runners reach second base, while a pair of Lyons poked doubles, but neither squad scored. Anchorwoman freshman Amanda Perry (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) broke the deadlock by leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run, sending a 3-2 pitch into left center, but Wheaton countered in the sixth. Junior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) smacked her third home run of the season, knotting the game when her drive glanced off the left fielder's glove and over the fence.

The Lyons blanked the visitors in the seventh, as freshman right fielder Nicole DeRosa (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich Academy) went crashing into the fence in foul territory to end the inning with an Anchorwoman at second base. The teams headed to extra innings after a Wheaton one-out single in the bottom half went for naught.

With one down and the bases loaded in the eighth, sophomore pinch-hitter Cassandra Taverna (Bedford, MA/Bedford) came up with a two-run double over DeRosa's head. DeRosa's ensuing relay led to Wheaton cutting down a possible third run at the plate before Benton's RBI single with one down in the bottom half cut Wheaton's deficit to 3-2. However, the final two Lyon hitters were retired, and their seven-game winning streak came to an end.

Benton finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while senior Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) added two hits, including a double. Classmate Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) yielded one run with four strikeouts through the first 4.2 innings before senior Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) gave up one earned run on two hits over the final 3.1 frames.

Perry, senior Christie Lotti (Waterford, CT/Waterford) and freshman Kayla Jandreau (Plainville, CT/Plainville) each had two hits for Rhode Island College. First-year hurler Melanie Neece (Westfield, MA/Westfield) allowed two unearned runs on seven hits while striking out four in eight innings.

In the second game, the visitors scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning for the only scoring in the contest, plating the first two runs on a sequence that began with a wild pitch and was followed by an error. Taverna's groundout brought in the third run.

Wheaton sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) tossed a three-hitter, pitching around seven Lyon miscues, while striking out two and walking only one. After allowing hits to two of the first four batters, she yielded just a double to the final 26 Anchorwoman hitters. Meanwhile, her offense produced nine hits but also stranded nine runners, as Wheaton had at least one player reach base in each of the first six innings.

Six Lyons reached scoring position, as the hosts' best threat came in the sixth. Marini led off with a single before reaching third on freshman Rachel Merrick's (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) double, but an infield single one out later led to the visitors catching Marini off third base for the second out. Wheaton did not score during the inning and went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Benton and freshman Julie Murray (Canton, MA/Canton) each had two hits. For the visitors, sophomore Jenna Deveines (Lowville, NY/Beaver River Central School) yielded eight hits over the first five-plus innings before Neece earned the save by allowing one hit over the final two frames.

Wheaton opens New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Saturday at Springfield College with a doubleheader that begins at 12:00 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 3/27/08.
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