Game 7 -- Springfield 2, Coast Guard 0 Print E-mail
NEW LONDON, CONN.--Sophomore Breann Joyce hit a two-run homer and freshman Ashley Marino fired a two-hit shutout as second-seeded Springfield beat top-seed and host Coast Guard, ranked fourth nationally, 2-0 in the winners’ bracket final of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball tournament.

Marino allowed just a pair of singles in the first inning, walked one and struck out six to improve to 12-6 on the season.

The Pride, the only team to beat Coast Guard this season, improve to 24-13, snap the Bears 15-game winning streak and earn a berth in the championship game. Coast Guard drops to 32-2 on the season.

Coast Guard will take on fifth-seeded Babson in the losers’ bracket final on Saturday at noon. The winner of that game will need to beat Springfield twice to win the championship.

Joyce blasted a two-out, two-run homer to center in the fourth after the inning was extended due to a fielding error to lead off the inning.

Junior Hayley Feindel (31-2) had her career-long scoreless innings streak snapped at 75 innings and she took the loss. She allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out 13 while allowing the two unearned runs.