Stacey Kelleher

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College softball senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England first team for the third straight season, receiving an accolade as a first baseman after drawing an honor as a designated player each of the prior two campaigns.

Kelleher's award marked the 18th straight year at least one Lyon landed an all-region honor. In her first full season playing the field, Kelleher appeared in every inning at first base while batting .413 with 11 doubles and four home runs, leading the team in all three categories. She also paced the squad by scoring 26 runs and driving in 22 more, slugging .624 and reaching base at a .484 clip while tying for the team lead with 12 bases on balls.

Also named to a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) all-league team for the third straight season, the co-captain batted .438 with runners in scoring position and finished with 12 multi-hit games. In addition to her multiple all-region and all-conference awards, Kelleher was an All-America designated player in 2008.

Despite missing time with injuries in each of her first two years and playing what amounted to three full seasons, Kelleher completed her career 10th in program history with 12 home runs. She is tied for second in times hit by a pitch (8), seventh in slugging (.614), eighth in average (.401), tied for ninth in doubles (32) and stands 10th in on-base percentage (.466).

The Lyons finished the season 15-23, including going 6-10 in the NEWMAC.

Stacey Kelleher

WORCESTER, MA- Wheaton College softball senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) picked up New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) all-league honors for the third consecutive season during Tuesday's postseason meeting at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Voted to the second squad for the second time in her career, Kelleher earned a first-team nod as a junior. As Wheaton's cleanup hitter in all but one game, Kelleher is second in the league in batting average (.413) and on-base percentage (.484), fourth in slugging percentage (.624), tied for fourth in doubles (11), tied for fifth in times hit by a pitch (4), sixth in total bases (68), tied for sixth in home runs (4), tied for seventh in hits (45), tied for eighth in runs (26) and tied for 10th in RBI (22).

The converted shortstop played every inning at first base during her first full season as a position player, leading the conference in double plays turned (10) while placing third in total chances (264) and putouts (241). Kelleher batted .438 with runners in scoring position and finished with 12 multi-hit games.

During league play, she was first in the NEWMAC in double plays turned (7), tied for second in putouts (115), third in batting average (.400), on-base percentage (.471) and total chances (125), fourth in slugging percentage (.578), tied for fourth in doubles (5), tied for fifth in times hit by a pitch (2), tied for ninth in total bases (26) and tied for 10th in hits (18).

In addition to being a three-time all-conference honoree, Kelleher was lauded with a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America award in 2008 and all-region accolades following two different seasons. She was also named an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Star as a sophomore.

Wheaton finished 2009 with a 15-23 record, having gone 6-10 in the conference while narrowly missing out on the league tournament. Tied with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for sixth for a tournament that accepts six teams, the Lyons and Engineers were forced into a coin flip after all other tiebreaker scenarios were exhausted.

The Wheaton College softball team completed its season with a 1-5 mark last week, including losing three of four New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) games to tie for sixth in the final league standings. On Tuesday, the Lyons took on non-conference foe Brandeis University for the first time since 1997, being swept at home by 10-5 and 3-2 counts. Wheaton split at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Friday, dropping the opener just 1-0 before winning the nightcap 3-2. Against visiting Clark University on Saturday, Wheaton lost 2-1 and 8-4 decisions.

Versus Brandeis, Wheaton employed rallies in both contests before falling shy. The Lyons overcame a 3-0 deficit to knot the contest by the third inning in game one, but the Judges scored the next seven runs. Sophomore Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) went 2-for-3 with two RBI, classmate Marissa Hobocan (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) added a pair of knocks, and sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) walked twice. In the second game, Wheaton yielded the first three runs, drew within one but left the tying run at third base in the seventh. Senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) homered and was 2-for-3 with two runs, and freshman Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk) went 2-for-3. Freshman Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering) took the loss, allowing three runs in three innings, before junior Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) fired four no-hit innings.

At WPI, Bagley yielded just one run on four hits to earn a hard-luck loss in the opener, with Salka going 2-for-3, before tossing three perfect innings out of the bullpen to draw the win during the second contest. Kelleher's one-out single in the seventh snapped a tie after senior Brady Benton's (Concord, NH/Concord) two-run single in the opening frame had given the Lyons a lead. Kelleher, Salka and senior Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) each had two hits. Warn allowed two runs in four innings.

Kelleher's homer in the fourth inning of the opener against Clark tied the contest before the Cougars scored in the seventh during an eventual sweep. Bagley yielded two runs during a complete-game effort, while O'Connell had Wheaton's other hit. Salka drilled her first collegiate home run, a three-run shot, to bring the Lyons within 6-4 in the sixth inning of the nightcap. She finished 2-for-3, Bagley surrendered three runs in three innings, and Warn allowed five runs, all unearned, in four frames.

With 14 sacrifice bunts on the season, Hobocan tied for second in program history, falling one shy of assistant coach Jill D'Arcy's '01 11-year-old school record. Freshman Amanda Poplaski (North Reading, MA/North Reading) tied for third in times hit by a pitch (5), Kelleher tied for eighth (4), and Bagley finished 10th in pitching appearances (28).

Benton finished eighth in program history in career home runs (14), while Kelleher placed 10th (12). Kelleher stands tied for second in times hit by a pitch (8), seventh in slugging percentage (.614), eighth in batting average (.401), tied for ninth in doubles (32) and 10th in on-base percentage (.466). Poplaski is tied for 10th in hit-by-pitches. Bagley stands fourth in strikeouts (214), sixth in pitching appearances (66) and innings (299.2), tied for seventh in complete games (30) and eighth in wins (25).

Wheaton currently sits sixth in the conference standings, as the top six squads qualify for the tournament, but the Lyons' postseason fate now hinges upon Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) twinbill against visiting Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Monday. One loss by WPI would allow Wheaton to clinch sixth place, but a WPI sweep would necessitate that tiebreaking procedures be used to determine the sixth seed.

In the opener, Clark used a two-out rally in the seventh to snap a 1-1 tie. With two down and no one on, junior Joanna Clark (Windham, ME/Windham) singled before freshman Maureen Coakley (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) doubled her home. Junior Lauren Blake (Oakland, ME/Messalonskee) followed with a single, but Wheaton senior center fielder Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) gunned down Coakley trying to score from second, preserving the one-run game. The Lyons were retired 1-2-3 in the home half.

The visitors went on top in the second inning, as junior Melissa Traft (Milton, MA/Milton) led off the frame with a home run. The next batter reached on a three-base error, but junior hurler Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) was able to work out of the jam unscathed. She yielded only two hits in the opening four innings and fanned the side in the fourth frame. In the bottom of the inning, senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) drilled her fourth home run of the year, knotting the game on Wheaton's first hit.

Bagley suffered the hard-luck loss, allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and just one walk. In addition to Kelleher's dinger, freshman Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk) singled.

Freshman Meghan Lennon (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) yielded just two hits in six frames for Clark, walking two without striking anyone out, before sophomore Sarah Carter (Worcester, MA/Saint Peter-Marian) worked a perfect seventh for the save. Blake, Clark and Coakley each had two hits, combining for six of their team's seven knocks.

Wheaton's late rally in game two went for naught, as Clark's final five runs were all unearned. Blake, Clark and Coakley each picked up an RBI during the opening three frames, and another run made it 4-0 in the fifth. After putting two runners on with no one out in the second but not scoring, the Lyons pushed a run across in the fifth, as freshman Mary Fay (Stoughton, MA/Cardinal Spellman) singled before coming in on O'Connell's two-out knock.

Clark pushed its lead to 6-1 in the sixth, but sophomore Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) swatted her first collegiate home run, a three-run shot that scored Benton and Kelleher, to make it a two-run game in the home half. However, Blake and Coakley provided RBI doubles in the seventh, and Wheaton senior Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) was stranded in the bottom of the frame after leading off with a single.

Bagley yielded three runs on four hits in three frames before being relieved by freshman Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering), who did not allow an earned run during her four innings. Salka finished 2-for-3.

Carter allowed three earned runs during a complete-game outing, Coakley was 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, and Blake finished with three hits and two RBI.

The Lyons picked up a much-needed win in their quest to qualify for next week's NEWMAC Tournament, as they are now 15-21 overall and 6-8 in the league. Wheaton sits sixth in the league standings, as the top six teams participate in the postseason. WPI moved to 11-20 and 3-9.

In the second contest, Wheaton took advantage of two first-inning miscues by the hosts to capture the lead, as senior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) came through with a two-out, two-run single. The Engineers threatened in the home half, as two of the first three batters drew walks before freshman hurler Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering) settled down and retired eight of the next nine WPI hitters.

Wheaton had an opportunity go for naught in the second, as senior Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) led off with a double before being stranded, and the Engineers fought back in the fourth. After senior Sara Migdal (Galway, NY/Galway Central) led off with a home run to make it 2-1, freshman Kaylyn Button (Ontario, NY/Wayne Central) doubled with two on and one out, but a fortuitous bounce produced a ground-rule two-bagger, and only the tying run was able to score. From there, Warn stranded Engineers at second and third by inducing a pop-up before fanning the leadoff hitter.

The Lyons nearly broke the tie in the sixth, loading the bags with two down without scoring, before coming through in the seventh. Sophomore Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) led off with a single to center, moved up on freshman Mary Fay's (Stoughton, MA/Cardinal Spellman) sacrifice bunt and scored on Kelleher's single to center. Junior hurler Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) got WPI 1-2-3 in the home half, as she provided three perfect innings of relief out of the bullpen to pick up the win.

Bagley and Warn combined to set down the final 11 Engineer hitters. Warn struck out four while allowing five hits in four innings during a no-decision. Cotto and Kelleher each finished 2-for-3, sophomore Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) had a pair of knocks, and Merrick scored twice.

Bagley pitched well in the opener, but a home run by junior Kelly Johnson (Buxton, ME/Bonny Eagle) with one down in the first inning gave WPI all of the offense it needed. Johnson finished 3-for-3, as Bagley allowed only four hits in the game while fanning six and walking no one. Salka was 2-for-3.

The Lyons' best threat occurred in the fourth inning, as sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) singled leading off before moving all the way to third on consecutive groundouts but being stranded. Salka doubled with two down in the seventh to move into scoring position, but Wheaton was unable to advance her home.

Wheaton hosts Clark University tomorrow on Senior Day, as a sweep of the Cougars would allow the Lyons to clinch a postseason spot. The NEWMAC twinbill begins at 12:00 p.m.

In the opener, the Blue and White rallied from an early deficit to knot the contest by the third inning. Brandeis scored each of its first three runs with two down, plating an unearned run in the opening inning before junior Erin Ross (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) hit a two-run double in the third.

Hitless prior to the inning, Wheaton scored three runs with two down in the third, with the first coming in when sophomore Marissa Hobocan's (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) single up the middle plated classmate Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer). After a double off the bat of senior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord), Hobocan came home on a wild pitch, and Benton scampered plateward on an infield miscue.

However, Brandeis immediately took the lead back, with freshman Lara Hirschler's (Bellmore, NY/John F. Kennedy) one-out RBI single in the fourth giving her team an advantage for good. The Judges scored five times on five hits in the fifth, while another two-out run came home in the sixth. Wheaton staged a short rally in the bottom half, as the first two batters reached before Salka came through with a two-out, two-run single to produce the final margin. The Lyons stranded two in the seventh.

Salka finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Hobocan added a pair of hits. Freshman Mary Fay (Stoughton, MA/Cardinal Spellman) suffered the loss, going 4.1 innings, before classmate Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering) yielded one run in 2.2 frames of relief.

Ross went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Judges, Hirschler finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, and sophomore Courtney Kelley (Leicester, MA/Notre Dame Academy) was 2-for-3 while scoring a pair of runs. Freshman Caroline Miller (Bala Cynwyd, PA/Harriton) yielded four earned runs in six innings to earn the victory.

Brandeis also scored the first three runs of the second contest, tallying once in the first before sophomore Danielle Lavallee (Sutton, MA/Notre Dame Academy) and Kelley smacked consecutive run-scoring hits in the third, but the rally ended when Kelley was caught trying to take an extra base, and the Lyons claimed momentum.

After the first eight Lyons were held hitless, freshman Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk) punched a 3-2 pitch up the middle with two down in the third before Hobocan doubled to left center, but the Lyons were unable to score. The following inning, Wheaton rallied to make it 3-1, as senior Lynn Cotto's (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) two-out single plated the first run. Senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) drilled an opposite-field dinger leading off the sixth to cut the Lyon deficit to a lone run, and O'Connell singled with one down in the bottom of the seventh before eventually reaching third with two down but being stranded.

Kelleher finished 2-for-3 with two runs, while O'Connell was 2-for-3. Warn yielded three earned runs in three frames before junior Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) fired four no-hit innings out of the bullpen.

Seven Judges had single hits in the contest in support of junior Emily Vaillette (Milford, NH/Milford), who yielded eight hits during a complete-game effort.

Wheaton, which occupies the final postseason tournament spot in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) standings, completes its league slate with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, beginning on Friday at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) with a 3:30 p.m. twinbill.

Wheaton's baseball team, which is hosting New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Sidell Stadium, is involved with the WRC for the second straight year. Wheaton and WPI players will don blue wristbands depicting an image of a white ribbon in recognition of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The white ribbon symbolizes a man's pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. The teams will also sign a poster-sized pledge sheet that will be prominently displayed on the back of the Wheaton dugout.

Additionally, the KLMC Quad, which is comprised of Kilham, Larcom, Metcalf and Chapin halls on upper campus, will be handing out free white ribbons and selling wristbands along with food and beverages at a concession tent located behind the press box. All proceeds will benefit the New Hope Shelter in Attleboro. The event is sponsored by Wheaton's Office of Student Life, Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Department of Athletics.

The WRC is recognized in over 55 countries with campaigns led by men and women, even though the focus is on educating men and boys. It began in 1991 when a handful of men in Canada decided they had a responsibility to urge men to speak out about violence against women. Wearing a white ribbon symbolizes opposition to violence against women.

Over on Clark Field, softball will be hosting Clark University in a NEWMAC twinbill. Fans who bring a large bag of bottles and cans or make a donation in support of Kate will receive a free lunch. All patrons are encouraged to dress in blue, as the Wheaton players will wear blue bracelets during the contests. Pinzino played in 87 games for the Lyons between 1999 and 2002.

The Wheaton College softball team went 3-3 last week, including 3-1 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play in an effort to secure a tournament berth. The Lyons dropped a Tuesday doubleheader at home against regionally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University, 6-4 and 9-1 in six innings, before sweeping Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 9-1 in six innings and 11-1 in five innings on Friday in Norton. On Saturday, Wheaton dropped the front end of a NEWMAC twinbill at Smith College, 9-0 in five innings before regrouping for a 6-0 win. The Lyons enter the final week of league play sitting sixth in the nine-team conference, as each of the top six teams qualifies for the double-elimination NEWMAC Tournament.

Against Eastern Connecticut State, which was ranked second in the region by the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA), a Wheaton comeback in the opener fell short despite the Lyons turning a triple play. With runners on first and second and no one out in the fifth inning, sophomore Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) caught a soft pop-up and tossed toward second base to classmate Marissa Hobocan (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph), who tagged the bag and fired to senior first baseman Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) to get the final out. Kelleher later drilled a two-run homer in the seventh to make it a two-run game, as the team's three seniors combined to go 7-for-10 and collect all but two of the team's hits. Kelleher finished 2-for-4, classmate Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) was 3-for-3, and senior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) went 2-for-3 with two runs. Freshman Mary Fay (Stoughton, MA/Cardinal Spellman) suffered the defeat before junior Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) provided three innings of scoreless relief. In the nightcap, Salka roped a double and scored on a Fay groundout for the Lyons' lone run. Bagley took the loss.

Wheaton scored in nine of 10 innings versus MIT, against which the Lyons extended their winning streak to 35 contests. Freshman Amanda Poplaski (North Reading, MA/North Reading) was 3-for-3 with two runs, two stolen bases and a triple in the opener, Kelleher finished 2-for-2 with two RBI, sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) went 2-for-3 with two runs, and Benton added two hits, including a walk-off single in the sixth. Bagley fired six innings of three-hit ball, striking out eight, before also tossing a complete game in the nightcap, yielding three knocks in five frames with four strikeouts. In that contest, Hunt was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, sophomore Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) finished 3-for-3 with three runs, freshman Valerie Tratner (Forest Hills, NY/Saint Francis Prep) was 2-for-3, Salka drove in two runs, and Hobocan scored twice.

At Smith, freshman Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk) smacked her first two collegiate hits while scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, and Fay spun six shutout frames to help the Lyons win game two and salvage a split. In her first career start, O'Connell finished 2-for-3 with two runs, Benton went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Kelleher and Merrick added two hits apiece. Fay yielded only three hits before giving way to freshman Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering), who tossed a one-hit seventh. In the opener, Benton doubled for one of the Lyons' five hits, and Bagley took the loss.

With five hit by pitches this season, Poplaski is tied for third in program history, while Hobocan is tied for third in sacrifice bunts (13), as the top two sac totals belong to assistant coach Jill D'Arcy '01.

Benton is eighth in program history in career home runs (14), while Kelleher is 10th (10). Kelleher is also fifth in times hit by a pitch (7) and tied for ninth in doubles (32), and Poplaski is tied for 10th in times hit by a pitch. Bagley is fourth in strikeouts (198), sixth in pitching appearances (61), seventh in innings pitched (276.2), and eighth in wins (24) and complete games (28).

The Pioneers took the opener, 9-0 in five innings. Wheaton is now 14-18 overall and 5-7 in the league, while Smith is 5-18 and 2-8.

In game two, Fay yielded only three hits in her six innings of work, as she didn't allow her first base runner until a 12-pitch plate appearance by the first batter in the third culminated in a walk. Smith's initial hit came by the leadoff hitter in the fourth, and Fay eventually worked out of two-on, two-out jams in the fourth and sixth innings.

Wheaton had at least one base runner in every inning, including the leadoff batter reaching during scoreless second, third and fourth frames. Senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) lined a double leading off the fourth but never made it to third before O'Connell sparked the Lyons in the fifth. After beginning the inning by lining her first collegiate hit into left center, she stole second, moved to third on sophomore Marissa Hobocan's (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) sacrifice and scored on senior Brady Benton's (Concord, NH/Concord) two-out RBI single.

The Lyons broke the game open with five runs on six hits in the seventh. Senior Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) and sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) each roped RBI doubles, Hobocan and Kelleher recorded run-scoring singles, and Benton added a sacrifice fly.

O'Connell finished 2-for-3 with two runs, Benton was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Kelleher and sophomore Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) added a pair of hits apiece. Freshman Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering) worked a one-hit seventh in her first action since March 24.

Senior Emily Hiltzik (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits, while four Pioneers had single hits.

During the opener, Hiltzik shut the Lyons out on five hits despite Wheaton putting runners on second and third with one down in the first, and Smith put the game away with six runs on six hits in the bottom half. Two more runs came home in the second, and an unearned run was plated in the fourth.

Benton doubled for Wheaton, while junior Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) took the loss. Fay did not allow an earned run during her 2.2 innings of three-hit work in relief.

Freshman Sarah Goodman (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) led the Smith offense by going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Three others had two hits each.

The Lyons complete their non-conference slate by hosting Brandeis University for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday. The Judges are coached by former Wheaton All-American Jessica Johnson '98, as the teams are slated for their first meeting since 1997.

The Lyons snapped a six-game losing streak in improving to 13-17 overall and 4-6 in the league, while the Engineers fell to 5-14 and 2-6. In all, Wheaton banged out 25 hits during the doubleheader, while MIT had six.

Bagley set the tone early in game one, fanning two Engineers in the top of the first before her offense scored twice in the home half. Senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) ripped a one-out RBI single, and another run scored on a passed ball. An additional unearned run came around in the second before Kelleher and classmate Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) cracked back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the third. Sophomore Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) followed with Wheaton's fourth straight hit of the inning, an RBI base knock that made it 6-0.

After the Lyons scored on an error in the fourth, freshman Amanda Poplaski (North Reading, MA/North Reading) smacked an RBI triple the following inning, plating classmate Emily O'Connell (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk). Senior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) had a walk-off RBI single in the sixth.

Bagley yielded only one hit through the opening 4.2 innings, as sophomore Jessica Oleinik (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) sent a hard single through the right side and narrowly beat Merrick's throw from right field with two down in the third. Bagley fanned eight batters while walking one and yielding three hits.

Poplaski finished 3-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, and Kelleher was 2-for-2 with two RBI. Sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) went 2-for-3 with two runs, and Benton had a pair of hits.

Freshman Katie Harrington (Lexington, KY/Paul Laurence Dunbar) singled home MIT's run with two down in the fifth in support of classmate Jessica Iacobucci (Phoenixville, PA/The Shipley School), who yielded five earned runs in a complete-game effort. Iacobucci fanned one and walked one.

Wheaton had a pair of big innings in the nightcap, plating four runs in the first and six in the fourth. In the opening frame, Hunt's RBI single put the Lyons on the board before Benton swiped home as part of a double steal. Cotto added a sacrifice fly before another run came around on a miscue.

MIT sophomore Jenny Li (Ellicott City, MD/River Hill) gave her team a lift with a solo home run in the third, but Wheaton countered in the bottom half when freshman Valerie Tratner (Forest Hills, NY/Saint Francis Prep) drove an RBI single through the right side.

All six of the hosts' runs in the fourth were unearned, as two errors aided the cause. Sophomore Katy Salka's (Ayer, MA/Ayer) two-run double was the big blow, while Hunt, Merrick and freshman Staley Salazar (Lakewood, CO/Bear Creek) each provided run-scoring singles.

Merrick went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, while Hunt had a 3-for-3 performance while adding two RBI and scoring twice. Tratner was 2-for-3, and sophomore Marissa Hobocan (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) scored twice. Bagley fanned four, walked one and allowed three hits.

Oleinik was 2-for-2 for the Engineers, while freshman Abby Van Hook (Framingham, MA/Lexington Christian Academy) suffered the loss, allowing 11 runs, but just four earned, in 3.2 innings.

Wheaton continues NEWMAC play when it travels to Smith College tomorrow for a 2:00 p.m. twinbill.