United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Softball - Bears Move Into First with Sweep; Coach K Wins 300th

BABSON PARK, MASS.--(4/10/10)--Junior Amanda Frederick hit two homers and drove in five runs and sophomore Hayley Feindel struck out 21 batters in two games to lead Coast Guard to a sweep of host Babson, 7-3 and 5-4, in a key New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.

Coast Guard head coach Donna Koczajowski won the 300th game of her career in the opener and finished the day with a record of 301-195-1 in 13 seasons.

With the two wins, Coast Guard took over first place and improved to 21-6 overall and 11-1 in the conference, while Babson saw the end of its 12-game win streak as the Beavers fell to 16-10 overall and were handed their first two conference losses of the season and now sit 6-2 in the NEWMAC.

Babson took the early lead in game one when freshman Catie Funk hit a one-out single, took second on a walk to sophomore Jess Pashos and scored on an RBI single by sophomore captain Nicole Latini. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning, when the Beavers put two more runs on the board. After sophomore Annie Duresema struck out but reached first on a passed ball, sophomore Jillian Smith would pinch run and advance to second base on a single by sophomore outfielder Lisa Wojnar. A sacrifice bunt by senior captain Brittney Russo would put runners on second and third with one out, and Enos followed with a two-run single to put the Beavers up 3-0 entering the fifth inning.

Coast Guard finally got its offense going in the top of the fifth, when senior Courtney Wolf drew a walk and freshman Catherine Walker followed with a double to center. An error enabled Wolf to score the Bears’ first run of the contest, and two batters later a two-out double by sophomore Maddie Buchert would plate two more runs. Junior Becky Miller would bring in the final run of the inning when she singled to center to put the Bears up 4-3.

Coast Guard tacked on an additional three runs in the top of the seventh when senior captain Carin Sweeney doubled in one run and Frederick followed with a two-run homer. That would be more than enough for Feindel, who allowed just two earned runs on seven hits walked four and struck out 11 in helping her team secure the 7-3 win.

Senior Danielle Liska pitched well but took the loss in game one for Babson. The veteran righthander gave up seven runs – only four of which were earned – on seven hits, walked a pair and struck out 12 as she fell to 8-4 on the season.

Coast Guard never trailed in game two, as Frederick launched her second homer of the day and third of the season in the top of the first to give her team a 1-0 edge. The Bears’ junior captain then drove in two more in the second, as her double to left scored freshman Megan Cook and Buchert to increased the visitors’ advantage to 3-0.

Babson got on the board with two outs in the bottom of the third, as Funk doubled, went to third on a bunt single by Pashos, and scored on an RBI single by Davis. However, Coast Guard gave Feindel some breathing room with two runs in the top of the fifth, as freshman Stacia Sarwinski drove in classmate Holli Bastinck with a groundout to third and Cook followed with an RBI single to plate Wolf.

Trailing 5-1, the Beavers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, with all of their runs once again coming after two were out. Funk started things off with a single to left, Pashos followed with a walk, and Davis drove in both with a double to right. Latini then singled Davis to third and junior captain Jess Winer knocked her in with a single to center. However, Feindel would strike out the final batter of the inning and then set down six of the final eight hitters she faced to clinch the 5-4 victory.

Feindel allowed four runs on 10 hits, walked two and fanning 10 in earning her second win of the day, improving her record to 19-6 on the season. She also became just the second pitcher in Coast Guard history to record 600 strikeouts as she now has 618 career strikeouts, just 16 shy of the all-time school record of 634 held by Katie Wunderlich ('01).

Meanwhile, Babson first-year Megan Brain fell to 8-3 after giving up five runs and striking out three in seven innings for the hosts.

For Babson, Funk had a huge day at the plate, going 6-for-7 with a double and three runs scored against one of the top pitchers in the nation.