Rohon’s Walkoff HR Powers Wheaton Past Softball, 8-5

THE BASICS 
Emmanuel College, 5 vs. Wheaton College (MA), 8

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (4-6, 0-0 GNAC)
Wheaton Lyons (1-0, 0-0 NEWMAC)

Location: Kissimmee, Fla. – Fortune Road Sportsplex Field 3

Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023

THE LEAD – Wheaton College (Mass.) sophomore Jillian Rohon's (Southington, Conn.) walk-off three-run blast completed the Lyons comeback in an 8-5 win over Emmanuel College on Saturday afternoon in Day 5 action of The Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Wheaton scored eight unanswered in the win to open the year with a 1-0 mark while the Saints wrap up their Spring Break trip with a 4-6 record.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 5-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Wheaton got the tying run on an RBI single up the middle from Jill Ceddia (Hopkinton, Mass.) with two-outs to even the score at 5-5. Rohon sent the Saints packing with the three-run shot to center to start the Lyons trip with the 8-5 walk-off victory.
• Emmanuel jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead pushing three runs across in the top of the first with just one hit, a leadoff single by sophomore centerfielder Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.). The Saints played some small ball with three consecutive bunts including a squeeze from senior Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) that drove in Chelak for the only earned run of the inning before playing a pair on unearned runs to account for the early 3-0 score.
• Sophomore Amanda Penney (Warwick, R.I.) opened the game up in the fifth with a two-RBI single up the middle that took a tough hop over the Wheaton second basemen to plate a pair and move the EC lead to 5-0.
• The Lyons looked for a big inning in the bottom half of the fifth, loading the bases with three consecutive singles by junior Amanda Bogardus (Saco, Maine), first year Lily Platt (Hallowell, Maine) and sophomore Juliette Zit (Woodbridge, Conn.). Next up, Bryanna Agan (Averill Park, N.Y.) hit a hard-hit shot to second that Penney was able to knock down and go to first for the second out of the inning. Bogardus came in to score on the play but Platt got too aggressive trying to score from second and the Saints caught the first year in a run down, doubling her up at home to end the inning surrendering just the one to lead 5-1 through five.
• Wheaton junior Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) belted a two-run shot to left center in the sixth to pull the Lyons within a pair at 5-3 and chase EC first year starting pitcher Mackenzie Briggs (West Warwick, R.I.) from the game. On in relief, EC senior Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) surrendered a pair of singles including an RBI blooper to right by Bogardus to make it a one-run game at 5-4 through six.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Junior starter Sofia Knopft (Norton, Mass.) picked up the win working 7.0 innings and allowing the five runs (two earned) on six hits to go along with seven K's.
• Briggs did not factor into the decision working 5.0+ innings and allowing the three runs on nine hits while striking out a pair. Dawe suffered the loss to move to 1-5 on the week.
• Chelak finished the game going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and runs scored for the Saints.
• Wheaton outhit Emmanuel on the game, 14-6, with five players recording multi-hit games highlighted by a 3-for-4 outing from Ceddia.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel heads back to Boston with a 4-6 record in the Sunshine State and is now idle until March 21 when they play host to Emerson College at Clemente Field for a non-conference twinbill slated to start at 5:00 PM.
• Wheaton has nine more contests in Florida and takes on Carroll (Wis.) later today at 4:30 PM.