Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--Catherine Tocci (Belmont, Mass./Belmont) extended her hitting streak to five games as the Smith College softball team fell in a doubleheader to Wheaton College 16-1 and 14-3 on Sunday afternoon.  Smith falls to 2-12, and 0-4 in the NEWMAC, while Wheaton improves to 11-11 and 5-1 in NEWMAC play.


Game One

The Lyons opened the scoring in the first, when leadoff batter Jenna Rocha walked and moved to second on an error that put AImee Avila on base.  Ashley Brillon moved the runners up on a groundout, and Megan Roy's single up the middle brought home Rocha and Avila.

Kirstie Beaton (Osterville, Mass./Barnstable) cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first inning when she singled home Sarah Goodman (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon), who had walked and stolen second.  Wheaton tacked on another run in the fourth when Valerie Tratner homered over the left field fence, and added four more in the fifth inning thanks to a wild pitch, an error, and RBIs from Roy and Emily Berardi.

Wheaton continued to score in the seventh inning, sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring nine times.  Roy finished 3-for-5, with four RBI and a double.  Six different Pioneers registered a hit for Smith, who got five strong innings of work from Kayla Kiers (West Warwick, R.I./West Warwick).  The sophomore allowed only six hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.  Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine/Calais) pitched the final two innings, and struck out two.  Noelle Christmas allowed four hits in five innings to earn the win.


Game Two

The Lyons again took the lead first, this time in the third inning.  Brillon led off with a single, and Roy homered to left center for a 2-0 advantage, but Smith would trim that to 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning when Helen Buse (Nicasio, Calif./St. Ignatius) roped a triple to left field and scored on Clark's RBI groundout. 

After Kiers set Wheaton down in order in the top of the fourth, Beaton led off the bottom of the fourth with a single.  Brittany Purington (Weare, N.H./John Stark) sacrificed pinch runner Megan Januszewski (Ascutney, Vt./Windsor) to second, and Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy)'s single to right center put Januszewski on third.  Kate O'Brien (Santa Cruz, Calif./Santa Cruz) slapped a single through the left side to tie the score, but the rally was cut short when Richardson was cut down on a fielder's choice and Buse grounded out to first base.

Wheaton took the lead for good when Vanessa Campbell hit a homerun to left center in the fifth, and Alanna Monahan scored on an error. 

The Lyons added five runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings, highlighted by a homerun for Monahan.

Smith did get one run back, when Buse singled and stole second, then advanced to third on Goodman's groundout to short.  Clark's sacrifice fly to center brought her home for the Pioneers' third run of the day.

Buse finished 2-for-3 with two runs, while Clark had two RBI.  Tratner finished 3-for-5 with four RBI.

Kiers went the distance in the circle, with seven strikeouts.  Allison Baker got the win with five strikeouts in six innings of work.


Smith will be back in action on April 2, hosting Amherst in a doubleheader at 4 p.m.  Wheaton will be at Endicott on April 3 at 3 p.m.