NEW LONDON, Conn.  -  Coast Guard baseball fell, 3-4, to Wheaton College (Mass.) earlier today in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest that was not without late game suspense.

Coast Guard moves to 16-10 on the season and 5-3 in conference play, while Wheaton improves to 16-11 overall and 8-2 against league foes. The Lyons look ahead to non-conference action on April 17th against Eastern Connecticut State University (18-6).

Center fielder Kael Godshalk (Bangor, Pa.) took away a hit for Wheaton in the first inning with a Gold Glove-caliber catch in the first inning. The play contributed to a pitchers' duel between Bears right-hander Harrison Milbert (Kingston, Mass.) and the Lyons' starter over the first three innings.

Nathan Stafford (Jupiter, Fla.) struck first on behalf of the Bears in the fourth. After a three-pitch strikeout in his first at-bat, the sophomore first baseman teed off on the first pitch of his second AB and sent in over the right field fence.

Wheaton responded with a home run of their own in the top fifth and went yard again in the sixth. Later on, the Lyons made some space with two runs in the top eighth. Coast Guard was shut out in the bottom half but held Wheaton off the board in the ninth.

In the bottom ninth, junior shortstop Rick Barkley (Bellevue, Wash.) stepped up with one out and a runner on first base and uncorked an opposite-field homer to make it a one-run game. Barkley's shot was the 100th hit of his career and tied the Bears baseball program's single-season record, which he set last season. Wheaton was able to get the final two outs to quell a potential ninth-inning rally.

Barkley and Stafford both went 1-for-4 with their homers. Drew Basque (Kealakekua, Hawaii) was the only other Coast Guard batsman to record an extra base hit thanks to his lead-off double in the bottom third, while three other Bears reached via a knock. Godshalk was one of them with his 1-for-2 day, also reaching base via a hit-by-pitch. Godshalk has reached base in such a manner 17 times this season.

Milbert allowed five hits, two runs (both earned), and a walk during a respectable day's work of five innings and two outs in the sixth. He was relieved by Tyler Michalek (Haslet, Tex.), who allowed four hits and two runs (both earned) over the next two innings. Raymond Priddy (Chico, Calif.) got the final out of the eighth and pitched the ninth, allowing just two hits and striking out one.

Bears baseball has a break from NEWMAC action tomorrow, playing hosts to Wesleyan University (8-16). It will be the first match-up between the teams since 2019, which the Cardinals won with a 9-4 final.