The following sports updates were provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's Athletics Department:
Softball: Bears Suffer First Loss of the Season
Coast Guard, ranked 11th nationally and first in New England, saw its 17-game winning streak snapped in a 5-3 loss to Springfield after the Bears won the opening game of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.
In the first game, Coast Guard junior pitcher, Hayley Feindel hurled a complete game victory, allowing just three hits and the one run. She walked two and struck out 12 in setting a record for most victories by a NEWMAC pitcher in her career with 83. Ironically, the pitcher she beat out was Nan Duga of Springfield College. Duga finished her career 82-38. Feindel is now 83-17 after the split on Friday.
Coast Guard (17-1, 3-1) scored in the very first inning. Senior catcher Amanda Frederick, who had reached on a fielder's choice, eventually scored on a passed ball.
Springfield (8-6, 2-2) tied it in the bottom of the second. Senior first baseman Amanda Novak hit a wind-blown triple to right field. She then scored on a single up the middle by sophomore Melanie Scuderi. It was only the second earned run Feindel had given up this season.
The Bears came back immediately with two in the top of the third, scoring both runs with two outs. Junior first baseman Maddie Buchert singled up the middle. Then Frederick doubled to right-center, knocking in what proved to be the winning run. The second run of the inning came home on a dropped fly ball to the outfield.
Springfield loaded the bases in the fourth on an error, walk, and a bunt single. But with one out, Feindel got out of the jam by forcing a foul pop, and a strikeout. Feindel set down the last 11 batters she faced to raise her record to 17-0 on the season.
For SC, freshman righthander Ashley Marino took the loss. Now 4-3, she gave up six hits, and three runs, only one of which was earned. She struck out two and walked three.
In the second game, it was a different story. Springfield scored two runs in the first inning, one in the second, and one in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Pride added one in the sixth to go up, 5-0. Coast Guard came back to post all three runs in the top of the seventh, making it very interesting on a three-run homer by junior Jamie Kim to left, the first homer of her career.
SC scored in the first on an RBI-single by sophomore shortstop Kelly Blake and on a ground out by Scuderi.
In the second inning, junior third baseman Tess Gagliano hit a long home run down the left field line to make it 3-0. It was Gagliano's second home run of the season.
In the third, Scuderi knocked in her second run of the game, and third of the doubleheader, with a single to center, making it 4-0.
In the sixth, Scuderi doubled to left-center field. She scored on a one-out single by junior leftfielder Kelsey Dunn.
SC freshman Jen Joseph then got the last two batters on a strikeout and a grounder back to the pitcher. Joseph, who gave up six hits, is now 3-1 on the season. She walked one and struck out one.
Feindel again went the distance, giving up 11 hits and five earned runs. She walked one and struck out 10. Overall, she struck out 22 on the afternoon. Feindel is now 17-1.
Baseball: Bears Strike Out
In a rematch of last year's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship contest, the Wheaton College baseball team ran its winning streak to three games with a 7-4 victory over the United States Coast Guard Academy on Friday at Sidell Stadium.
Receiving national votes in the latest D3baseball.com poll, the Lyons improved to 7-4 and 2-3, while the Bears had their two-game winning streak end in slipping to 9-6 and 2-2.
Wheaton's first four batters combined to go 12-for-16, as the Lyons racked up 17 hits but also stranded 15 runners. Junior leadoff man Hal Landers went 4-for-6 with three runs, classmate Dan Haugh batted 3-for-3 with two walks, while sophomore Sean Ryan added three hits and two RBI.
Junior righty Nolan Corr worked six-plus innings with five strikeouts and no walks while giving up three earned runs on seven hits for the win, while freshman Ryan Grant earned his second save in as many days.
Coast Guard sophomore Mike Massaro and freshman Dave Wolinski had two hits apiece, while senior Jesse Karr suffered his first loss of the spring, surrendering four runs, two earned, with two strikeouts and four walks.
Wheaton manufactured a run in the first, with Landers singling to lead off, moving to second on a sacrifice, advancing to third on Ryan's single and scoring on Munley's groundout. Skelley's two-run single with two down in the second made the score 3-0, as Wheaton took advantage of a Coast Guard defensive miscue to extend the frame.
After leaving the bags jammed in the third, the Lyons tacked on a run the following inning, with Haugh launching a double deep into center field that scored Skelley, who singled through the right side. Wheaton stranded eight runners through the first four innings. The hosts added a run in the sixth, as Landers doubled down the right field line before being sacrificed over to third and scoring on a Ryan base knock.
Coast Guard rallied with four runs in the seventh to get within one, as the first six Bears reached base safely courtesy of four hits and two walks. Massaro, junior Eddie Kalankiewicz and sophomores Tyler Babkiewich and Cameron Carroll had an RBI each.
The Lyons responded with a pair of unearned runs in the home half to complete the scoring, as Connor was plated on a wild pitch while Skelley scored on a Ryan single up the middle.
Wheaton and Coast Guard will play a doubleheader on Saturday in New London to wrapup the three-game weekend series.
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