04/04/2009
Softball Drops a Pair to Top-Ranked Coast Guard

WORCESTER, MASS. 04/04/09 - Freshman pitcher Hayley Feindel (River Ridge, La.) picked up two wins to improve to 15-1 on the season to lead top ranked Coast Guard Academy to a sweep of Clark University in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader Saturday at O'Brien Field. The Bears earned the 5-3 opening game victory in nine innings and took the nightcap by a score of 7-3.

Ranked atop of the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) Poll, Coast Guard raised its record to 19-2 overall and an undefeated 5-0 in league play. Clark dipped to 8-16 on the season and 4-6 in the NEWMAC.

With the score knotted at 2-2, Coast Guard plated the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Anna Funk (Galax, Va.), who was placed on second to start the frame, moved to third on a wild pitch and came around to score on Becky Miller's (Norco, Calif.) one-out RBI double for a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, Jeannie Crump (Roseville, Calif.) drove in the game-winning run with a shot up the middle. Amanda Frederick (Lebanon, Ohio) singled in the final run of the inning to make it 5-2.

The Cougars scored an unearned run in the bottom of the frame after Joanna Clark (Windham, Maine), who was placed on second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a throwing error by the Coast Guard catcher. But Feindel forced a fly out for the final out of the frame to secure the win.

Freshman Stefanie Kettenacker (Hastings-On-Hudson, N.Y.) gave Clark an early lead when she cranked a two-run shot to centerfield for her second homerun of the season in the second inning.

The Bears scored single runs in the third and fifth innings to tie it up (2-2), but Clark's Meg Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) pitched three scoreless innings, to keep the game deadlocked. In the top of the eighth, the Bears had a runner at third with one out. Lennon issued a walk to put runners at first and third, before fanning the next two batters to get out of the jam.

Lennon pitched well in the loss, walking two and striking out seven. Kettenacker and Lauren Blake (Oakland, Me.) led Clark with two hits apiece.

Miller went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI to pace Coast Guard. Feindel gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits, while striking out 14.

In the second game, Clark's Erin Murphy (Boxboro, Mass.) delivered a bases-loaded two-run single to right field for a 2-0 advantage in the first inning.

The Bears rallied from the two-run deficit with three unearned runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, and then increased their margin to 7-2 with a four-run fourth.

Melissa Traft (Milton, Mass.) and Blake were the Cougars only multiple hitters.

Jamie Kim (Irvine, Calif.) led Coast Guard with two hits and three RBI.

Sarah Carter (Worcester, Mass.) (6-6) was tagged with the loss for Clark, after giving up just one earned run.

Clark will play at Worcester State College on Tuesday (5 p.m.) in a non-conference twinbill.