NEW LONDON, Conn. – The United States Coast Guard Academy softball team broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, en-route to a 5-3 victory over visiting Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Nitchman Field in New London, Conn.
The Lyons dip to 15-13 overall and 8-3 in league play, while the Bears improve to 9-14 and 7-4.
Both teams tallied 10 hits in the game with four different players recording multi-hit efforts for Wheaton.
Coast Guard got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second, before the Lyons matched with a run of their own in the third. The Bears reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs to take a 3-1 margin, before Wheaton scored twice in the top of the fourth to pull even at 3-3.
Junior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) was 2-3 with a double and a run scored for the Lyons, while junior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) knocked in a pair of runs with a double. First year designated player Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.), sophomore first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) and senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) were all 2-4 for Wheaton. Sophomore relief pitcher Brittany Dost (Centereach, N.Y.) suffered the loss, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits, while striking out a batter in three and two-thirds innings of relief to drop to 1-1 on the season.
Senior third base Julia Breidenthal (Leawood, Kan.) led Coast Guard with a 2-4 effort that included a double, two runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. First year right fielder Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) was 2-4 with an RBI and sophomore shortstop Bridget Bartz (Arlington, Va.) and junior second base Veronica Krystofik (Colchester, Conn.) each knocked in a run after reaching twice with a single and a walk apiece. Senior left-handed starting pitcher Isabelle Shroyer (Marysville. Ohio) picked up the win to improve to 4-6 after allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts. Sophomore reliever Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) earned her first save of the year after hurling two innings of one-hit ball in addition to issuing a pair of walks and striking out three batters.
The Bears pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for the third and last time of the contest. Breidenthal smacked a lead-off double to right field and moved to third on a ground out. Krystofik came through later in the inning with a two-out single to center to plate the go-ahead run in Breidenthal. Following an error, Schmutz gave the home team an insurance run with a run-producing single to center to plate Krystofik.
Breidenthal was in the middle of Coast Guard's first run as well, reaching on an error to open the second inning. She moved to third on a passed ball and scored when Bartz ripped a single to left field to make it 1-0.
The Lyons took advantage of an error in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1. First year second base Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) served a single to center field and later scored on an infield error to give Wheaton its first run.
The Bears reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning when the first four batters of the frame all reached, resulting in a pair of runs to give them a 3-1 advantage. Senior center fielder Christine Carey (San Diego, Calif.) drew a lead-off walk, followed by consecutive singles from Shroyer and senior catcher Lillia Farlow (Carrollton, Texas) to load the bases with no outs. Breidenthal delivered the blow with a two-run single to center to give Coast Guard a two-run lead.
The Lyons responded right away with two runs in the top of the fourth to knot the score at 3-3. Sophomore catcher Riley Dolan (Corman, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice and DiBacco belted a double to left field to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Rohon followed with a double of her own to center to drive in both runners and just like that, the game was tied again.
