NEW LONDON, Conn. —
The United States Coast Guard Academy softball team secured a doubleheader split on Saturday with New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foes Smith College. CGA fell in the first game, 5-11, before bouncing back for a 10-2 mercy-rule win in six innings in game two.
Coast Guard moves to 15-13 on the season and 9-7 in NEWMAC games, while Smith moves to 16-17 overall and 8-8 versus league foes. Smith will have another chance at getting above .500 in conference play next Friday, May 1st, when they host Massachusetts Institute of Technology (26-6, 12-4 NEWMAC).
Game 1: Bears 5, Smith 11; Box Score
Prior to the doubleheader, the Coast Guard softball recognized its four-person senior class of
Bridget Bartz (Arlington, Va.),
Emma Behel (Ellicott City, Md.),
Maura Murphy (Bristow, Va.), and
Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) and their contributions to the program during their four years in New London.
Coast Guard belted three home runs in the first game but were ultimately undone by an overpowering offensive showing by the visiting Bears.
Bartz put the Bears on the board in the first inning with a two-RBI double to center field, but Smith would overtake their hosts with a five-run third inning.
Zoey Lynn (Nokomis, Fla.) drove the first pitch of the bottom fourth for her first collegiate home run, trimming the deficit to 3-5, but the visitors responded with another five-run frame in the top of the fifth.
Lynn was 2-for-4 in the opener and pitched in relief for the final 2.2 innings, allowing one run and three hits. Coast Guard got one back when
Mack Murnane (Castle Hayne, N.C.) clobbered her fourth long ball of the season in the bottom of the sixth, but Smith got the run back on the top of the seventh on an RBI single. Coast Guard was unable to comeback in the bottom half despite
Hayden Reilly's (Prosper, Tex.) efforts to spark a rally with a homer to left center, her third of the season.
Reilly and Murnane both finished game one with two hits, and they were joined in that regard by
Ella Stolarzyk (Danville, Calif.).
Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) was hitless in two at-bats but reached base twice via walks.
Game 2: Bears 10, Smith 2 (6 Inn.); Box Score
The second battle of the afternoon looked to be headed for a low-scoring result as Smith led, 2-1, through four innings, but Coast Guard crossed the plate nine times in the fifth and sixth to put the mercy rule in effect.
The hosting Bears once again opened the scoring in the first inning when Reilly pulled one down the left field line for a double, bringing Schmutz around in the process. Smith would take a one-run lead in the top of a third with a pair of RBI singles.
The Bears held Smith scoreless over the next two innings. Walker went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, but Smith got one on with one out to start the fifth. Their opportunity closed in a flash when Murnane showed off her reflexes by nabbing a line drive to third base before throwing across the diamond to complete a 5-3 double play.
Coast Guard took the lead in the fifth on a bizarre play. With the bases loaded, a Reilly comebacker was misplayed by the pitcher and unable to be corralled by the infield, allowing two runs to score. Another error just two batters later allowed two more Bears runs to score, setting the score at 5-2.
Bartz opened it up in the bottom of the sixth, following Murphy's lead-off double with a pull shot over the left field fence. Coast Guard was able to load the bases again for Stolarzyk, who drove two in with a single down the left field line. One more was able to score when the left fielder bobbled the ball on the pick-up, dealing the finishing blow in the process.
Schmutz bounced back from the hitless game one to go 2-for-4 with three runs scored in game two. Walker struck out three en route to her 11th win of the season with the complete-game victory. Bartz finished Senior Day with a 2-for-3 showing in game two. It was a milestone win for head coach Arielle Cooper, being the 100th of her head collegiate head coaching career.
USCGA softball will be back in action tomorrow at 11:00 AM ET with another in-conference doubleheader against Emerson College (5-19, 3-11 NEWMAC). After a pair of postponements, the twinbill will be played at Mitchell College with the Bears remaining as the home team.
