United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Softball - Bears Split; Retain Superintendent's Trophy

KINGS POINT, N.Y.—(4/30/09)—Freshman Hayley Feindel struck out a career-high 16 batters while scattering five singles as Coast Guard shutout Merchant Marine 3-0 in game two of a doubleheader after the Mariners beat the Bears 3-2 in the opener of a non-conference twin bill between the two rivals.

With the split, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine each finish with 6.5 points in the annual battle for the Superintendent’s Trophy which awards a point for each sport in which the two teams compete. The Bears, who have never lost the trophy will retain it with the tie.

Coast Guard (36-5-1) got the only run in would need in game two on an RBI double by Colleen Denny in the first inning scoring classmate Jeannie Crump, who was hit by a pitch and stole second.

Freshman Jamie Kim added a huge hit in game two, a two-run single in the fourth to give the Bears a pair of insurance runs.

Feindel (31-4) walked just two to pickup the win in the nightcap.

The Bears battled back from a 2-0 deficit in game two. Merchant Marine scored a pair of runs in the first, one earned.

Sophomore Becky Miller hit her first career homer in the fifth and Kim had yet another big hit, a game tying single in the sixth.

The Mariners (17-15) won the game on a two-out single by Kim Saxton in the bottom of the seventh.

Feindel also pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing just three hits, all singles, and two earned runs, while not walking a batter and fanning five.

Coast Guard will now wait until Monday when the 59-team NCAA Division III Tournament berths are awarded. The Bears are hoping for the programs first ever berth to the NCAA Tournament.