Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORTON, Mass.--The Smith College softball team was limited to seven hits over two games as the Pioneers fell to Wheaton College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader by scores of 8-0 and 5-0 on Friday afternoon.

The Pioneers are now 4-8 overall, and 0-4 against NEWMAC competition, while Wheaton is 9-7, and 2-0 against NEWMAC foes.

Game One

Smith was stifled in the opener, managing just two hits in an 8-0 loss.  Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) led off the game with her third double of the season, but Wheaton starter Allison Baker set down the next 12 Pioneers, until Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) led off the fifth inning with a single.  

The Lyons took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Renee Laflam doubled in Emma Hart, then moved to third on Ashley Brillon's single and scored on a Smith error.

Wheaton added another run in the third and two more in the fourth and fifth to end the game via mercy rule.

Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) went the first four innings in the circle, allowing five earned runs and 11 hits.  Kristina Gaffny (Reading, Mass./Austin Prep) pitched the final third of an inning.  Hart led Wheaton with a 4-for-4 performance with two runs and an RBI.

Game Two

The Lyons totalled 13 hits while limiting Smith to five in a 5-0 loss in the nightcap.  Smith kept Wheaton off the scoreboard until the bottom of the third, when Madeline Hatch and Noelle Christmas hit back-to-back triples to open the scoring, and Jenna Rocha singled home Christmas for a 2-0 lead.  

Smith's left runnners in scoring position twice; Jennifer Hsieh (Southport, Conn./Ludlowe) singled and stole second in the third inning, but was left stranded.  Hsieh also drew a two-out walk in the fifth, and moved to second on Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay)'s single, but the Pioneers could not bring them around.  Smith left seven runners on in total.

Wheaton scored two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth for the final margin.

Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) went the distance for Smith, notching four strikeouts without walking a batter.  Christmas struckout five in six innings of work, and Emily Berardi tossed one inning of relief.

Smith will resume conference play on Saturday, March 30, hosting Clark in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.  Wheaton will also be in NEWMAC action, hosting WPI in a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.