WESTFIELD, Mass. –

After winning their last five games, CGA fell 8-7 at the hands of Westfield State in walkoff fashion. The Owls improve to 14-5 with the victory, they will next face MASCAC opponent Worcester State in a three game series this weekend, starting off with a doubleheader on Friday. 

In his first career start at third base, freshman Max Van Auken(Franklinville, NJ) was tested right away. Van Auken made two plays for the Bears in a scoreless bottom of the first inning and notched his first career hit in the top of the second. He would finish the day an impressive 2-3, with a walk, clutch sacrifice bunt, and a team high three runs scored. Max would score the first run of the game, touching the plate along with Carson Cho(Haymarket, VA) on a Nathan Stafford(Jupiter, FL) double. Stafford would too score when the next batter Parker Madden(Ruston, LA) singled him in. 

Coast Guard would add another run in the fourth inning when Rick Barkley(Seattle, WA) scored Van Auken on a single. 

That 4-0 lead would hold for Coast Guard until the sixth inning. In the sixth, Westfield State chipped away, scoring two runs to cut the Bear lead in half. The next inning, the Owls offense broke through, scoring five runs on three hits, one error, and one walk to take the lead for the first time in the game. Coast Guard would bear down and get two runs back in the 8th inning. Parker Madden walked with the bases loaded to score Max Van Auken, who led off the rally with a walk. Carson Cho would then score on a sacrifice fly by Rick Barkley.

A scoreless eighth inning by Ryan Karman(Sayville, NY) gave the Bears a chance in the top of the ninth and Kael Godshalk(Bangor, PA) got them started right away. The junior centerfielder worked a 10 pitch, leadoff walk to give Coast Guard life in the ninth. Godshalk would advance to second on a passed ball, and third on the aforementioned Max Van Auken sac bunt. Godshalk would tie the score at 7-7 when Carson Cho took a curveball into the left center gap. The next two batters were retired for CGA and the game would go to the bottom of the ninth tied.

Unfortunately for the Bears, they were unable to send the game to extra innings. With runners on first & second and one out, Alex Martin(Schrewsbury, MA) sent a single down the left field to score Jeremiah Bobbi(Lebanon, CT) and walk the ballgame off for the Owls.

Coast Guard falls to 12-7 with the loss. They will next face NEWMAC rival #12 Salve Regina in a doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM on Saturday April 5th.