BABSON PARK, Mass. — 

The United States Coast Guard Academy softball team secured two wins via doubleheader sweep at New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foes Babson College on Saturday, April 18th. The 4-0, and 5-1 wins marked the first victories on the road this season for the Bears.

Coast Guard improves to 14-10 on the season and 8-4 in conference games, while Babson moves to 13-18 overall and 5-7 against in-league opponents. The Beavers will look to build some momentum with Tuesday, April 21st's non-conference single against Endicott College (16-9).

Game One: Bears 4, Babson 0; Box Score

In a game that saw both teams combine for seven hits and seven errors, a complete-game effort in the circle was backed up by some late-game offensive insurance to give Coast Guard their first win of the day.

Dealing that complete-game was Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.), who held the Beavers to three hits in the opening game while recording a trio of strikeouts. Her gem improved her record to 9-6, while Babson's Anna Topel dropped to 4-5 after allowing two earned runs and five walks while striking out two.

Hayden Reilly (Prosper, Tex.) got the Bears on the board first by ambushing Topel in the first inning for a home run to left-center. The sophomore reached base two more times on the afternoon via walks. Walker kept the Beavers scoreless until her team was able to add some insurance in the sixth. With two outs, Zoey Lynn (Nokomis, Fla.) started it off with an RBI single to center field before eventually coming around from second to make it a 3-0 game.

Coast Guard added one more on an infield error and even loaded the bases before Topel was able to get out of the inning on a fielder's choice ball. Two runners got on in the bottom half against walker after a two-out single followed by an error, but the Bears senior got out of it with a foul fly out to left field. She had an easier go of it in the bottom seventh as she ended the first game with a 1-2-3 inning.

Game Two: Bears 5, Babson 1; Box Score

Coast Guard's bats were fully warmed up for game two as they multiplied their game one hit total by three for a 12-hit barage. Mack Murnane (Castle Hayne, N.C.) had a third of those hits with a monster 4-for-4 day with two RBIs, highlighted by a home run and two doubles.

Murnane's homer opened the scoring in game two as she sent her solo shot over the left field wall in the top of the fourth. Emily Walsh responded in the bottom half for the Beavers with a double up the middle to score one.

That was the only time Babson would get to Walker, who earned her second win of the day with a five-inning relief effort. The senior allowed four hits and struck out four after replacing classmate Emma Behel (Ellicott City, Md.) in the circle, who struck out one during the opening two innings.

The Bears added one more in the top sixth after Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) drew one of her two walks on a wild pitch, which allowed Murnane to score. Schmutz finished with a 2-for-3 day and came around during the next at-bat on a Reilly single to right. Murnane added another in the bottom seventh with a double to left center before Walker made it a 5-1 game with an RBI ground-out to second base.

Katie Vlacich dropped to 3-9 on the season after allowing nine hits and three earned runs over 5.2 innings of work, while Lexi Sealy pitched the final 1.1 innings. Babson's offense in game two was led by a 3-for-3 effort from Charly Landow.

Bears softball will look to keep it going in another conference double-feature on Monday, April 20th, by hosting Emerson College (3-17, 1-9 NEWMAC). First pitch for game one is set for 3:00 PM ET. Coast Guard split last season's regular season meeting in Boston before returning for a 7-0 victory in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament play-in game.