NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. —

The United States Coast Guard Academy softball team picked up a win and a loss on day two of their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach on Monday. The Bears defeated Gwynedd Mercy University in their first game of the day via 10-0 mercy rule in six innings before falling to Covenant College, 1-2, later in the day.

Game 1 — Bears 10, Gwynedd Mercy 0; Box Score

Coast Guard was dominant at the plate and in the circle against the Griffins. Four cadet-athletes produced multi-hit days, led by sophomore infielder Mack Murnane's (Castle Hayne, N.C.) 3-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Freshman first base Ella Stolarzyk (Danville, Calif.) and sophomore outfielder Hayden Reilly (Prosper, Tex.) both recorded triples as Stolarzyk went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Reilly went 2-for-3 with three runs. Senior captain Maura Murphy (Bristow, Va.) continued her hot start to the season with a 2-for-3, two RBI effort.

Senior captain Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) was dominant in her third start of the season, allowing just three hits and striking out seven over all six innings. Those three hits for Gwynedd Mercy came from Stephanie Jones, Macey Harrold, and Hannah Smith. McKenzie Price and Gianna Trerotala combined in the circle for nine earned runs, 11 hits, and four walks.

The Bears got their first run of the game when freshman outfielder Zoey Cascio (Burke, Va.) drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the second. Stolarzyk followed by picking up her two RBIs with a single. The Bears made it a 4-0 game in the top 3rd after Murnane was able to come around from second thanks to an infield error by the Griffins.

Coast Guard added a run each on respective sacrifice flies by Murphy in the fourth and Murnane in the fifth. The duo added some more runs in the top of the sixth, with Murphy driving in one on a single to right field and Murnane plating two a couple of at-bats later on a single to left. Madeline Kibler (Effingham, Ill.) was awarded a free trip down the line after a bases loaded bean ball to bring in the tenth run.

Game 2 — Covenant 2, Bears 1; Box Score

The Bears cooled down during the wait for game two, tallying six hits from six different batters. Covenant was led by Madison Taylor's 2-for-3 day with a double and RBI as the Scots also mustered six base knocks. Cassidi Phillips drove in the other run for Covenant, while Kallie Branum recorded a double and Laxi Tincknell legged out a triple.

Reilly got the nod to start Coast Guard's second game of the day. Both of the Scots' runs on the day were allowed by Reilly in the first inning, but she settled in nicely to allow five hits in four innings of work. Freshman right-hander Zoey Lynn (Nokomis, Fla.) was excellent in relief of the sophomore, allowing just one hit while pitching the last two innings. Elizabeth Yotner twirled a gem to shut down the Bears' bats, allowing no earned runs and six hits with ten strikeouts and a walk.

The Scots got the first run of the game on Taylor's double to right center, and she was subsequently brought around by Phillips' single to center field. The score didn't deviate from 2-0 until the seventh inning, when a pinch-hit single up the middle by senior Emma Behel (Ellicott City, Md.) snuck under the Scots center fielder's glove and rolled to the wall, allowing Lynn to score from first while Behel hustled to third base. Yotner was able to snuff out the Bears' chances of tying the game with a borderline called strike three on the next batter, followed by a 4-3 groundout on the following hitter to seal the contest.

Bears softball will get a day off before returning on Wednesday, March 11th, to take on Lancaster Bible College at 9 AM ET and Penn State University Beaver at 1 PM.