Springfield, Mass. - April 23, 2016 - The Springfield College softball program dropped a pair of New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contests to Wheaton College on Saturday afternoon at Potter field.

With the losses, Springfield, which was No. 7 in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings, is now 23-15 overall and 9-9 in league play, while Wheaton, ranked No. 6 in the region, improves to 21-11 on the season, with a conference mark of 11-5. The Pride dropped the first of two games, 3-2, while falling in the second, 4-3.

Up next, Springfield will travel to Keene State on Wednesday, April 27 for a non-conference doubleheader with the Owls beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Wheaton (Mass.) 4, Springfield 3 -- Game One

Sophomore Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) posted the Pride's lone RBI and pitched a complete-game, only allowing six hits and three runs, but Springfield dropped a 4-3 decision to Wheaton in the first of two on Saturday afternoon.

For the Lyons, Danielle Cimino (Cumberland, Maine) was effective as she went the distance, holding Springfield to four hits, while posting two strikeouts in the game.

After four innings of scoreless play, Emma Hart (Lincoln, R.I.) knocked a double to left field, plating Lily Ongkiko (Juliet, Ill.) to give the Lyons a 1-0 lead, before the visitors extended their lead to a pair when Marissa Timoteo (Jupiter, Fla.) jacked a solo shot to left to make it 2-0, Wheaton.

Springfield would rally in the bottom of the sixth, as Loda would reach first on an error, but Kayla Padroff (Southington, Conn.) would score to make it 2-1, before Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) grounded into a double play, but Simone Morin (Plantsville, Conn.) crossed home to make it 2-2.

In the top of the seventh, Mary DeMoura (Boston, Mass.) would beat out an infield single to second, allowing Madeline Hatch (Acton, Mass.) to score the game-winning run for Wheaton.

Wheaton (Mass.) 4, Springfield 3 -- Game Two

Sophomore Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) went 3-for-4 from the plate, scored a run and picked up an RBI, but the Pride fell in game two, 4-3, to suffer its second setback to Wheaton on Saturday.

Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.) took the circle for the Pride and pitched 2.0 innings, while Jordyn Moquin (Plantsville, Conn.) came on in relief and pitched 5.0 frames, holding the Lyons to four hits and no runs.

For Wheaton, Allison Cox (Torrance, Calif.) pitched a complete game, only allowing eight hits and three runs while striking out two.

Springfield struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) drilled a single to right, scoring Nelson and Gasdia to give the Pride an early 2-0 lead, but two runs from the Lyons in the top of the second would knot the game at two apiece.

In the third, Wheaton took a 4-2 lead off the bat of Emily Bouthillette (Lincoln, R.I.) who laced a two-run double to left center, but the Pride would rally in the bottom of the seventh, when Gasdia drove in Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.) with a single. The rally would be cut short, as Cox got out of the jam and sealed the win for Wheaton.