Baseball Win, Softball Losses For Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Academy baseball team broke a four-game losing streak with a narrow win over Springfield College on Friday, while the softball team dropped two games to Wellesley College. The following information was provided by Jason Southard, sports information director for the Coast Guard Academy:

Baseball: Coast Guard 7, Springfield 6

Sophomore Dave Wolinski’s one out RBI single in the bottom of ninth gave Coast Guard a much needed 7-6 win over Springfield in the first game of a three-game series in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play.

Wolinski’s heroics capped a 3 for 5 day with three RBI’s for the Bears first baseman as Coast Guard snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 12-17 overall and 6-10 in conference play. Springfield drops to 12-12 overall and 6-7 in the NEWMAC.

The Bears, who need to win the series to keep their NEWMAC tournament hopes alive, must now split tomorrow to remain in the hunt for the fourth and final spot.

Coast Guard led 6-4 heading to the ninth before sophomore Frank Calabrese’s two out, two-run single off Coast Guard closer junior Tyler Vieira tied the game at 6-6.

The Bears scored four unearned runs in the first inning as a key error early in the inning extended the frame. Wolinski had the big hit a two-run single while junior Eric Gerken added an RBI ground out and junior Cameron Carroll had an RBI single.

Coast Guard added another unearned run in the second when junior Joe Petry walked, stole second and moved to third on a single by junior Nolan Gallagher before scoring on an errant throw trying to pickoff Gallagher at first as Coast Guard took a 5-0 lead.

The Pride scored four times in the fifth on an RBI single by senior Mike Corletta, a two-run single by sophomore Mike McGowan while another run scored on a wild pitch.

The Bears added a key insurance run in the sixth as Wolinski reached on a double to left that the outfielder lost in the sun and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Carroll.

Junior Riley Beecher started for Coast Guard and worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs, three earned while walking five and fanning six. Senior Nick Peters was outstanding in relief as he pitched 2 1/3 inning allowing just one hit while striking out one. He came in the game with the bases loaded in the sixth and got a ground out to end the inning.

Vieira (4-1) picked up his team leading fourth win after being touched for a pair of runs in the ninth.

Sophomore Alex Williams started for the Pride and pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing seven hits and six runs, just one earned while walking three and striking out eight. Senior Craig Zysk (4-1), who suffered his first loss of the season, went 2 2/3 allowing just two hits and the earned run while fanning four. Sophomore Jon Medici faced just one batter, allowing the game winning hit to Wolinski.

Junior Joe Petry and Gallagher each had two hits for the Bears.

The teams complete the three-game series today at noon with a doubleheader at Springfield.

Softball: Wellesley 3, Coast Guard 2; Wellesley 5, Coast Guard 1

The Wellesley College softball team used strong pitching performances from sophomore Lindsay Johnson and junior Sarah Schwartzmeyer to post a sweep over two-time defending NEWMAC Champion, Coast Guard in league play on Friday afternoon. The Blue took game one, 3-2, in nine innings, and won the night-cap, 5-1.

The wins improve Wellesley to 13-13 overall, 6-4 in NEWMAC play. Coast Guard falls to 16-12, 4-6 in the NEWMAC.

Game one featured a pitchers dual between Wellesley’s Johnson and Coast Guard’s Feindel, who combined for 14 strikeouts and just one earned run.

Wellesley struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the second inning. Phoebe Walsh-Costello reached base on a Coast Guard error with two outs to start the rally. Abby Casey then reached on an infield single, but Coast Guard's defense was out of place and threw the ball around the infield, allowing Walsh-Costello to score to put Wellesley up, 1-0.

Coast Guard knotted things at 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. Devin Fellman led off the inning with a single and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Maddie Buchert. A groundout put Fellman on third, before Holli Bastinck hit a looping single off the glove of the Wellesley right fielder to score the tying run.

The Bears took a 2-1 edge in the first extra frame. Stacia Sarwinski was placed on second base and was sacrificed to third on a bunt from Kaitlin Ward. Sarwinski then scored on a Wellesley error, putting Coast Guard ahead, 2-1.

Wellesley knotted things at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. Pinch runner Sarah Scwartzmeyer reached third on a sac from Maria LaBouyer. Mara Blesoff then drove in the tying run on a single to left field. Wellesley loaded the bases with one out after a Jayne Ellis single and a fielder’s choice from Kimberley Cabral. However, Coast Guard's Feindel struck out the innings' final two batters to force a ninth inning.

In Coast Guard's half of the ninth inning, Erin Lisko advanced to third on a sacrifice from Fellman, but was thrown out at the plate on a grounder to the short stop. Wellesley’s Johnson then induced a groundout, setting up the ninth-inning heroics for the Blue.

Wellesley earned the victory in the bottom of the ninth, after Emilyrose Havrilla was sacrified to third by Walsh-Costello. Casey then drilled a ball into right field that was deep enough for Havrilla to tag up and score the game-winner.

For Wellesley, Casey and Ellis each finished with two hits, while Casey and Blesoff each drove in runs for the Blue. Johnson was brilliant in the circle for the Blue, throwing nine innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and five walks.

Coast Guard's Bastinck recorded the only multi-hit outing for the Bears in game one. In the circle, Feindel pitched well, despite the loss, throwing eight and two-thirds of an inning, not allowing an earned run. She allowed six hits, while striking out seven and walking two.

In game two, Wellesley scored five runs in the first two innings, and Schwartzmeyer took care of the rest, throwing seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight and walking one.

Wellesley pounded out seven hits between the two frames, striking for five runs. Singles from Lauren Goldfarb, LaBouyer, Cabral and Havrilla in the bottom of the first put the Blue up, 2-0, before Coast Guard got one back in the top of the second. Sarwinski led off the inning with a blast over the left field fence, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Wellesley forged on, scoring three in the bottom of the second to take the 5-2 lead. The big hit of the inning came on a triple from LaBouyer that drove in Schwartzmeyer and Goldfarb, who both reached on singles. A fielder's choice off the bat of Ellis scored LaBouyer for to account for the third Blue run of the frame.

With the 5-1 advantage, Schwartzmeyer closed things out, not allowing a runner past second the rest of the way.

Goldfarb finished with two hits for the Blue, while LaBouyer drove in two runs. Bastinck’s homerun was the only extra base hit for the Bears, who totaled just four hits in the game.