Coast Guard Tops Blue Softball in NEWMAC Tournament Opener

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Junior Holly Bastinck hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning and senior pitcher Hayley Feindel went the distance without allowing an earned run as the sixth-seeded United States Coast Guard Academy Bears topped third-seeded Wellesley College, 5-2, in the opening game of the 2012 NEWMAC Tournament this afternoon at Babson College.

With the win, Coast Guard (21-16) moves on to play second-seeded Babson later today, while Wellesley (18-18-1) will next play in an elimination game against an opponent to be determined on Saturday at 2:00pm at top-seeded Springfield College.

The Bears' offense gave Feindel all the support she would need in the top of the first inning, as sophomore Devin Fellman and first-year Jesse Richardson both recorded singles and Bastinck followed with a towering home run to center for an early 3-0 advantage. It was Bastinck's sixth round-tripper of the season.

Wellesley would get an unearned run back in home half of the inning, junior Lauren Goldfarb reached on an error, moved to second on a bunt, advanced to third on a single to center by junior Kimberly Cabral  and scored on the Bears' second defensive miscue of the inning.

Coast Guard struck again in the top of the second, beginning when senior Jamie Kim led off with a double to left center and took third on a sacrifice bunt by first-year Erin Lisko. Wellesley junior starter Sarah Schwartzmeyer then recorded a key strikeout for the second out of the frame, but senior Maddie Buchert followed with a clutch RBI-single down the left field line to make it 4-1 in favor of the Bears.

Wellesley once again made it a two-run contest with another unearned run in the bottom of the second. First-year Emilyrose Havrilla singled to center with one out, stole second, and scored on an error. However, that would be all the Blue would manage again Feindel (14-7), who pitched out of trouble in the fourth and fifth en route to the complete-game victory. The All-American righthander went seven innings and allowed two runs - both unearned - on five hits, walked one and struck out six.

In addition to her first-inning homer, Bastinck added a single in the fifth, when she eventually scored on a single by first-year Chloe Harmon to cap the Coast Guard scoring. The junior finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and three driven in, while Fellman went 2-for-3 in the winning effort.

Wellesley received hits from Goldfarb, Cabral, Havrilla, junior Samantha Spiga, and junior Mara Blesoff. Schwartzmeyer (5-5) took the loss for the Blue after allowing four runs in two innings of work. Sophomore Lindsay Johnson came on in the third and went five innings, allowing no earned runs on four hits, walking three and fanning five.