United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Baseball

FORT MYERS, FLA.--(3/7/10)--Freshman Derek Petty pitched six innings, allowing just four hits a pair of unearned runs to pickup a win in his first collegiate start as Coast Guard salvaged a split of a doubleheader with Merchant Marine with a 3-2 win after losing the opener 5-4 at the Gene Cusic Classic.

Petty went the six innings and walked four and struck out four. He got a double play ball with the bases loaded to get out of the sixth inning. Freshman Tyler Babkiewich, making his first collegiate pitching appearance, picked up the save as he pitched the seventh.

Coast Guard, trailing 1-0, took the lead in the top of the fourth with a pair of unearned runs as sophomore Chris Izurieta tied the game with a sacrifice fly before junior Graham Sherman gave the Bears the lead for good with an RBI single.

The Bears added a run in the fifth as freshman Eric Gerken led off with a double and later scored on a fielder’s choice by senior John Jeffares.

Merchant Marine pulled to within 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Mariners left runners on first and third.

Coast Guard freshman catcher Cameron Carroll was 4 for 4 with four singles and a run scored in the win.

In the opener, junior Jesse Karr pitched a complete game and scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs while walking two and striking out two, but was the tough luck loser.

Coast Guard led 4-2 before Merchant Marine scored three runs on just one hit in the sixth inning. The Mariners tied the game on a squeeze play before Alex Wolfe’s sacrifice play gave them a 5-4 lead.

The Bears had the bases loaded with just one out in the home half of the sixth when freshman Riley Beecher ripped a line drive that was turned into a double play to end the threat for Coast Guard.

Stan Schwitalla picked up the win in relief for Merchant Marine (1-1).

Junior Jared Korn drove in Coast Guard’s first three runs of the game including a two-run homer to right field, the first of his career, which broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth. The Bears added a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Beecher scoring Babkiewich, who was hit by a pitch in all four plate appearances in the opener.

Coast Guard is now 1-2 on the season and will take on the Merchant Marine the final game of the three-game set on Monday afternoon.