Cambridge, Mass. - April 29, 2016 - Sophomore outfielder Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) picked up the Pride's lone RBI, as the Springfield College softball team dropped its opening New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship Tournament contest to Wheaton College, 9-2, at Briggs Field on the campus of MIT on Friday afternoon.

With the loss, the Pride will face elimination from the tournament when it takes on the loser of Game #5, between Babson and WPI on Saturday at WPI at 1 p.m. Wheaton, the tournament's No. 3 seed, will advance to play No. 2-seeded MIT at 4:30 at Briggs Field.

Sophomore Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) took the circle for the Pride, and pitched 3.0 innings, giving up seven hits and six runs, five of which were earned, while also striking out one. Junior Jordyn Moquin (Plantsville, Conn.) came on in relief and also pitched 3.0 innings, holding the Lyons to just four hits.

Along with another productive day at the plate from Gasdia, who went 2-for-3 in addition to her RBI, Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) was 2-for-4, and Simone Morin (Plantsville, Conn.) 1-for-2 in the setback.

Wheaton got off to an early 4-0 start in the bottom of the first, before touching Loda for a pair more in the bottom of the third to go up 6-0 on Springfield.

The Pride would cut its deficit to four in the top of the fourth, when a throwing error from the Lyons allowed Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) to cross the plate, before Gasdia singled to short, plating Moquin to make it 6-2, Wheaton.

The Lyons would answer with three in the bottom of the frame and hold on for the remainder of the contest, picking up the 9-2 win.