NEW LONDON, Conn.  -  Coast Guard baseball reached base 30 times and benefited from superb pitching while defeating the Buccaneers of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 17-2, in today's mid-week non-conference tilt.

Coast Guard improves to 12-6 overall, while Mass Maritime moves to 11-9. The Buccaneers will look to get back in the win column on April 4th in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) encounter at Fitchburg State University (5-8). The game kicks off a three-game series between the Buccs and Falcons that concludes the next day with a doubleheader back at Mass Maritime.

The Bears scored in every inning besides the fifth. Parker Madden (Ruston, La.) put his team on the board early with a first frame solo blast to right-center field, his second home run of the season. The senior went 3-for-4 on the day, including a double in the bottom of the fourth, which junior slugger Rick Barkley (Bellevue, Wash.) chased with a two-run shot to right field for the shortstop's third home run in as many games and his sixth of the season.

Also recording a three-hit day for the Bears was center fielder Kael Godshalk (Bangor, Pa), who went 3-for-5 with a game-high three runs batted in. The junior has now tallied a hit in his past three games while reaching base safely in his last five. Joining Godshalk and Barkley with a multi-RBI game was Grayson Irwin (Wilmington, N.C.), who pinch hit for Godshalk in a bases-loaded spot during the bottom of the ninth. The senior's second at-bat of the season resulted in a frozen rope bloop single down the right field line to plate two.

Apart from Madden and Godshalk, four Bears produced multi-hit games. Coast Guard notched 18 hits as a team and reached base eight times by walk, four times via hit-by-pitch, and twice by error. The Bears pitching staff had far better luck during the afternoon than their counterparts. Right-handed sophomore Jack Gausselin (Long Beach, Ind.) set the tone with one of his best appearances of the year, going six innings and allowing five hits, two runs (both earned) and no walks while striking out six.

Gausselin was relieved by junior lefty Jack Spinnato (Oldsmar, Fla.), who allowed a hit and sent down four Buccaneers while pitching the seventh and eighth. Fellow junior Conor Watts (Mahopac, N.Y.) was called upon to get the 15-run save in the bottom of the ninth, and the right-handed sidearm hurler did his job by striking out the side.

Who's Next?
Coast Guard baseball takes on another MASCAC school tomorrow in a 3:30 PM contest at Westfield State University (13-5). The Bears faced the Owls last season and took the match-up in a 7-3 decision. Nate Stafford (Jupiter, Fla.) helped lead the team to that one, bashing a home run as part of a 2-for-3, 3 RBI day.