NORTON, Mass. (May 2, 2026) – Wheaton College closed out the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Emerson College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader at Clark Softball Field this afternoon. The Lyons notched a 4-0 shutout in game one, before completing a 9-1 victory in five innings in game two.
Game 1: Wheaton 4, Emerson 0
Senior Peyton Blankenheim-Brown spun a six-hit shutout for Wheaton to outduel Emerson junior Cal Sheehan in the pitching circle. Blankenheim-Brown struck out six and walked nine over her seven innings of work to earn the win (11-7), while Sheehan took the loss (6-12), surrendering four earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and five walks over six innings.
Junior Ella Molinari had a hit and drew two walks with a run scored and two stolen bases at the plate for Wheaton. Classmate Emma Boucher finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Lyons.
Sorensen doubled and scored the Lions run in game two (PHOTO BY Andrew Monson) |
Senior Kayla Nuehlen and sophomore Riley Fasteau each hit 2-for-3 for Emerson.
Wheaton grabbed the lead in the first as Molinari led off with a single and later scored when first year Mady Bryan reached on a fielder's choice. The Lyons extended their lead after loading the bases with one out in the fifth. Boucher drove in a run with a single to left and then Blankenheim-Brown scored on a ground out. The hosts added an additional insurance run in the sixth without benefit of a hit when first year Julia Miller drew a lead off walk and later scored on a wild pitch.
Game 2: Wheaton 9, Emerson 1 (5-innings)
First year Lexi Falcioni went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and four RBI, while senior Amber Arcand finished 1-for-3, producing the game-ending RBI single up the middle with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth.
Junior Taylor Barry batted 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored for Wheaton, while Julia Miller hit 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. Junior Sofia De La Rosa did the rest in the circle, allowing just an earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks over five innings for the win (10-7).
Sophomore Kari Sorensen was 2-for-2 with a double and run scored at the plate for Emerson, while first year Valentina Luciano finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Kayla Nuehlen batted 1-for-2 with an RBI for the Lions. Junior Kate Regan surrendered nine runs, only four earned, on nine hits in the circle for Emerson.
Wheaton scored the only four runs it would need in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with one out before Falcioni laced a bases clearing three-run triple to right center. Senior Maggie Caron followed by driving in Falcioni on a ground out.
Emerson got on the scoreboard in the second when Sorensen led off with a double to right center and then scored on a single down the rightfield line by Nuehlen. Wheaton pulled away from there with two in the third as Peyton Blankenheim-Brown and Emma Boucher led off with back-to-back doubles and both scored when Falcioni reached on an error. Barry added an RBI single up the middle in the fourth and then closed the game out with two more in the bottom of the fifth, capped by Arcand's RBI single up the middle with two out and the bases loaded.
Up Next
Emerson caps its 2026 season with a 7-23 record overall, including 5-15 in NEWMAC play. Wheaton (21-15, 11-9 NEWMAC) locked up a spot in next week's NEWMAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will host No. 7 Coast Guard Academy in a first round play-in game on Monday at 4 p.m.
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