Box Score NORWICH, Conn.-Senior Joe Petry collected his 100th career hit with a single in the bottom of the sixth and the Coast Guard baseball team set a school record for single season wins with their 22nd in a non-conference tilt with Mitchell College at Dodd Stadium. After falling behind 6-4, the Bears (22-16) rallied with a pair of runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to knock off the Mariners (21-12-1).
Coast Guard got off to a great start in their bid for number 22, scoring four times in the first inning against Mitchell senior starter Kevin Carbon. After reaching on a fielder's choice, senior Nolan Gallagher came around to score on classmate Tyler Babkiewich's high-arcing double down the right field line. Babkiewich would come around to score himself a batter later when senior Ed Sella line a double into the right center gap to give the Bears a 2-0 edge. With the bases loaded and two out, senior Cameron Carroll came up with a two-run knock into left to bring up Petry as Coast Guard batted around and staked itself to 4-0 lead after one.
Mitchell would get back into it in the second when a walk and a pair of singles leading off the inning allowed freshmen Neftali Arroyo and Eddie Lorah to sandwich a pair of sac flies around classmate Nova Crespo's RBI-single up to center to cut the lead to one at 4-3.
The Mariners would tally two more in the third on a pair of hits and a critical error by Babkiewich extended the inning. While attempting to turn a double play, Babkiewich mishandled Petry's toss allowing junior Kenneth Olszewski to come in to score.
After tallying another run in the fourth on a two-out throwing error by Petry, the Mariners found themselves ahead 6-4, having already chased two Coast Guard pitchers from the game.
Coast Guard squared things up in the sixth following a leadoff walk by Carroll and Petry's milestone hit. After Carroll advanced to second on a passed ball, Petry stepped up and lined a single to center to plate him, cutting the deficit to 6-5. Three batters later Petry would come around to score on a Gallagher sac fly.
After a shutdown inning by senior Nate Toll (4-4), the Bears got right back to the offensive. Three consecutive walks set up a bases loaded situation for Carroll, who delivered with a sac fly for his third RBI of the contest. Petry then followed that up with a bloop to left that deflected off of sophomore Drew Doyle's glove to score a run and after the ball was thrown into the Coast Guard dugout senior Mike Massaro came in to score as well. A sac fly by senior Eric Gerken plated to fourth and final run of the inning as the Bears claimed a 10-6 lead.
Senior Curt Barrett worked a scoreless seventh to get the Coast Guard bats up again. Gallagher led off by reaching on a hit by pitch, advanced to second on a fly ball to deep center by Babkiewich, and would score on Sella's base hit to right center.
Senior Derek Petty came on to throw the eighth and recorded the only 1-2-3 inning of the game by striking out all three batters he faced. Fellow senior Tyler Vieira worked the ninth recording a pair of strikeouts and walks to close things out for Coast Guard.
Freshman Ryan Mawson took the loss for Mitchell to fall to 0-1 on the season without recording an out and allowing all three walks he issued to score.
For the game, a total of 12 pitchers were used (seven by Coast Guard and five by Mitchell).
The Coast Guard season will be in limbo until Monday when they await the selection committee's verdict as to whether or not they'll be selected to participate in the ECAC New England Regional Tournament.
