NORTON, Mass. - Sophomore shortstop
Mack Murnane (Wilmington, N.C.) was a perfect 4-for-4 in game two while junior infielder
Bridget Bartz (Arlington, Va.) drove in three of her team's seven runs between both games to help Coast Guard softball split their Friday NEWMAC twinbill at Wheaton College (Mass.). The Bears put together a 13-hit onslaught as to win the second contest, 6-2, and bounce back from their 1-4 loss in game one.
Both teams will stay at .500 in NEWMAC play as they exit the day, with Coast Guard sitting at 5-5 (9-8-1 overall) and Wheaton at 6-6 (21-9 overall). The Lyons will have until next Friday for another attempt at getting over the hump in April 25th's doubleheader at Springfield College (6-4 NEWMAC, 17-9 overall).
GAME ONE: Wheaton 4, Coast Guard 1
Entering the bottom of the first tied at one, Wheaton finally made some space with a three-run fourth inning. The Lyons' lead-off batter put herself in scoring position with a triple to right field before being brought in a couple of batters later on a two-out single. Errors by Coast Guard on the next two plays led to two more runs scoring
The Bears were unable to equalize on the batting side, recording just four hits in the game's entirety. Half of which came in the first inning, which
Hayden Reilly (Prosper, Tex.) led off with a double to right field before being brought around as the Bears' only run Bartz's two-out single.
Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) and
Veronica Krystofik (Colchester, Conn.) tallied the other two in the third inning, which saw the Bears fail to capitalize on a bases-loaded, no-outs situation. Coast Guard reached via walk three times, with Reilly taking a free base once and
Madeline Kibler (Effingham, Ill.) earning two.
Reilly threw two shutout innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out one. Starting pitcher
Emma Behel (Ellicott City, Md.) allowed eight hits, two earned runs, and a walk with three strikeouts in a solid four innings of work despite the loss.
GAME TWO: Coast Guard 6, Wheaton 2
In the second game, Coast Guard recorded a hit in all innings except for the first. The Bears struck first after Bartz brought Reilly in with a one-out sacrifice fly ball to center field, and Behel followed up with a single to left field to drive in Schmutz and make it a 2-0 game.
The top sixth saw the Bears add three more. A single up the middle by Kibler brought Riley in from second for the first one, while Bartz brought Kibler and Schmutz in with a double to left field. Wheaton cut the deficit down to three in the bottom half after an outfield error by Coast Guard allowed two runs to score.
The Bears took one of those runs back in the sixth after
Maura Murphy (Bristow, Va.) brought Murnane in from second base with a single to center field.
Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) shut the door on the hosts to wrap up her 11th complete game this season; the junior allowed seven hits, an earned run, and two walks while striking out three to improve her record to 7-4.
In the batter's box, Coast Guard had seven players record a hit and four tallying at least two. Reilly, Murphy, and Kibler all finished 2-for-4, while Reilly and Schmutz crossed the plate twice each.
Bears softball returns home tomorrow and will face Springfield before Wheaton does. The Pride took both games in last season's doubleheader, breaking the Bears' hearts in the second with a 6-7 extra innings win. Coast Guard will be looking to beat the Pride as a program for the first time since 2023's split.
