United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Softball

SPRINGFIELD, MASS.--(4/23/09)--Top-seeded Coast Guard had its 29-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to fourth-seeded Springfield in Game #3 of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Softball Tournament.

Coast Guard will take on sixth-seeded WPI in Game # 6 on Saturday at noon, the remainder of the tournament will be played at Coast Guard

The game was played at Springfield because the Bears' field was unplayable.

Springfield beat #5 Babson, 5-4, in the first game of the day at Springfield's Potter Field.

The Bears (32-3-1), lost their first game in regulation this season, they had not lost since falling to Shenandoah of Winchester, Virginia, 2-1 in 8 innings on March 11. Coast Guard's only other loss had come to Shenandoah, 10-5, in 9 innings on March 10.

The game promised to be a pitchers' dual between Coast Guard freshman Hayley Feindel and her 27-1 overall record and her 0.82 ERA, and senior lefthander Samantha Rhodes, an All-NEWMAC first team selection a year ago, and winner of the earlier Babson game. Just last Saturday, the two had hooked up in game #1 of a doubleheader at Coast Guard, with Coast Guard coming from behind to win, 5-4, in 9 innings. Rhodes had a career-high 14 strikeouts in that contest.

The game was living up to its billing. As the #1 seed, Coast Guard was the home team, even if the game was at Potter Field. Feindel struck out 13, including four in the top of the second inning (which included a runner reaching first base on a wild pitch). Through four innings, the game was scoreless.

But in the top of the fifth, senior CF Angie Atkins doubled to left field. Senior LF Amanda Lyons then walked. Senior 1B Aimee Cassella grounded to third, moving the runners up. Junior catcher Michelle Wlosek then lashed a single to center field, for the big hit of the day, knocking in both runners. Finally, following another ground out, sophomore DH Amanda Novak singled to center, plating the third run of the inning.

The Bears scored their only run on an RBI single by Amanda Frederick in the sixth. Frederick had two of the Bears five hits.