Softball Drops Pair of Games to Wheaton

NORTON, Mass. - Sophomore Emily Schlapak hit a home run in both of the Wheaton College softball teams games against Bridgewater State, as the Lyons sweep the Bears, earning an 11-3 win in the opening contest (5 innings), before winning the second 8-4. 

Wheaton wasted no time getting the scoring started, taking control with a three run first inning. Mary DeMoura led off the inning with a single and was quickly brought home by a triple to left field by Rebecca Seifert. The Bears, who loaded the bases moments later with back-to-back walks, managed to get two quick outs at home. Down to their final out, the Lyons Alexis Havrilla stepped up and hit a two-RBI single to center that knocked in Schlapak and Caroline Fairbanks. 

Bridgewater State earned a run back in the top of the second, but Wheaton took it back in the third. Schlapak started the scoring with an RBI single to left that brought in Jessica Cochrane. Pitcher Danielle Cimino helped her cause moments later with a double to right center that scored two more Lyons. 

The Bears once again countered, this time with two runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. Morgan Cox and Kristyna Flaherty both came in to score for Bridgewater State. Wheaton once again had an answer, this time plating three more runs in the fourth. All three runs came around on Schlapak's first home run of the day, and third of her career. 

Seifert ended the scoring and the game for Wheaton in the bottom of the fifth with a two-RBI single that allowed DeMoura and Lily Ongkiko to score. 

Cimino collected her first win of the season after pitching four complete innings, giving up just three runs on seven hits, while striking out two. Shelbi Wilson came in in relief, surrendering just one hit. 

Like they did in the opening game, the Lyons took control of the game in the first inning, posting two runs. Both runs came in to score on a single down the left field line by DeMoura, that sent Morgan Walsh and Jade Assad home. 

Wheaton tacked on another run in the second and third inning. Ongkiko came around to score on a Seifert single in the second, while Chloe Woodward picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the third that allowed Schlapak to score. 

The Bears got on the board in the fourth with Shannon Grindle coming around on a Wheaton error. Schlapak responded in the Wheaton half of the inning with another three-run home run, this time drilling the ball over the fence in left. 

Trailing 7-1, the Bears earned two runs back in the fifth with RBI singles by Courtney Leddy and Cox. Wheaton added its final run of the game in the sixth with a single to center by Ali Petrelli that knocked in Schlapak. 

Bridgewater State tried to rally in the seventh, but only managed two hits, that resulted in a single run. 

Allison Cox got the start for the Lyons, pitching four complete innings, that saw her strike out one, while giving up just one run on four hits. Wilson and Emily Lambiase also pitched. 

The Lyons host WPI on Saturday, March 25 in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Confernece (NEWMAC) double-header.