New London, Conn. – April 24, 2010 – Freshman Melanie Scuderi and junior Amanda Novak each had two-run singles as second-seeded Springfield knocked off top-seeded Coast Guard 4-1 in the winners bracket final of the New England WomenÂ's and MenÂ's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball tournament.
Springfield, the two-time defending NEWMAC tournament champion, advances to the championship game at noon on Sunday. Coast Guard will play in an elimination game on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Freshman Stef Grande (10-10) allowed just three hits and a solo homer while walking one and not striking out a batter to get the win.
Coast Guard sophomore Hayley Feindel (25-8) took the loss allowing seven hits and four earned runs, while walking three and striking out 12.
ScuderiÂ's two-run single up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded gave the Pride a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Senior Courtney Wolf answered right back for the hosts as she got the Bears on the scoreboard with a solo homer to right in the bottom of the second.
Novak added some insurance runs in the sixth as she cracked a two-run single with two outs to give the Pride a 4-1 lead. Freshman Kelly Blake and senior Michelle Wlosek led off the inning with back-to-back singles and with two outs, they pulled off a double steal, to set up NovakÂ's heroics. Blake and Novak each had two hits for the Pride.
