Game #1: WPI 1, Wheaton 0
Game #2: Wheaton 3, WPI 2

Game #1 Box Score
Game #2 Box Score     

Worcester, MA --- Kelly Johnson's (Buxton, ME) solo homer in the first inning gave freshman pitcher Allie Hardy (Leominster, MA) all the support she would need as host WPI blanked Wheaton 1-0 in the opener of a NEWMAC softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon.  The visiting Lyons took the nightcap 3-2 following a seventh-inning RBI single off the bat of Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA).

WPI is now 11-20 on the season and 3-9 in conference play.  Wheaton sees its record move to 15-21 overall and 6-8 in NEWMAC action.   

After Hardy struck out the side in the first inning of the opener, Johnson deposited a one-out 2-2 pitch over the left center field fence for her first career home run.  The junior collected three of WPI's four hits in the first game.

Hardy was the story the rest of the way, equaling her career-high with 10 strikeouts.  She notched a first-pitch strike on 24 of 28 hitters and never had more than one runner on base in any inning.  The freshman scattered six hits and walked none en route to improving to 8-5 on the season.

Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA) was the hard-luck loser for the Lyons.  She gave up just four hits, walked none and fanned six.  Katy Salka (Ayer, MA) tallied a pair of hits in game one for the visitors, including a double.     

In the second game, the Lyons struck quickly, posting a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first on a two-run double by Brady Benton (Concord, NH).

WPI would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Sara Migdal (Galway, MA) opened the frame with her sixth homer of the season before Kaylyn Button's (Ontario, NY) ground-rule double plated Allie Roach (Chelmsford, MA) to even the game at 2-2.

Wheaton set up Kelleher's heroics in the top of the seventh when Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA) opened the inning with a single to center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mary Fay (Stoughton, MA).  Kelleher then drove a single up the middle and brought home Merrick with what would prove to be the winning run. 

Bagley tossed three hitless innings to earn the win and see her record move to 6-12.  Freshman Erin Flaherty (Stoughton, MA) was saddled with the loss despite pitching well for the Engineers.  The rookie yielded just one earned run in a complete game effort, while walking just one and striking out four.

Kelleher, Brady and Salka were the only players with multiple hits in the nightcap.              

Both teams return to the diamond with NEWMAC doubleheaders on Saturday.  WPI heads to Babson to take on the Beavers while Wheaton entertains Clark.  Both twinbills are scheduled for a noon start.