Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Kaitlin Ward's two-run double highlighted a four-run 10th inning as Coast Guard held off Emerson 5-4 in the opener and sophomore Sarah Sorensen fired her first career shutout, a five-hitter as the Bears completed the sweep of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader with a 2-0 win.
Coast Guard improves to 13-17 overall and 6-10 in the NEWMAC keeping its conference tournament playoff hopes alive while Emerson drops to 13-19 overall and 2-14 in the NEWMAC. The Bears must sweep Smith on Saturday and also get outside help to qualify for the conference tournament.
In the opener, the teams were scoreless through eight innings before the Bears struck for a run in the top of the ninth when freshman Cherokee Strickland was placed on second as part of the international tiebreaker, went to third on single by freshman Erin Reynolds and later scored on a ground out by sophomore Hannah Ingerson.
The Lions tied it in the home half to force the 10th inning.
In the top of the tenth, sophomore Morgan Kingston's RBI double gave the Bears a 2-1 lead. Junior Jessie Richardson added an RBI fielder's choice before Ward's double made it 5-1.
Emerson would three straight RBI singles to pull to within 5-4 before a ground out ended the game.
Sophomore Kristine Kahl (8-7) went the distance, ten innings, allowing ten hits and four runs, two earned while walking one and fanning five to get the win.
Alicia Daniele went ten innings for the Lions and took the loss in game one.
Strickland and Kingston each had two hits, including a double, in the game one win for the Bears.
In the nightcap, Sorenson (5-10) allowed just five singles and did not walk a batter while striking out two to get the win.
In the fourth inning, Reynolds led off with a single before senior Kelly Grills' RBI double broke a scoreless tie. Kingston's RBI single scored Grills as the Bears scored the only two runs of the game.
Grills was 3 for 3 with a double to lead the Bears 10-hit attack in the second game while Richardson added a pair of hits for the Bears.
The Bears are back in action on Saturday when the host Smith, coming off a split with first place Wheaton on Friday, in a NEWMAC doubleheader beginning at noon.
