New London, Conn. – April 20, 2012 – The Springfield College softball dropped a pair of one-run contests to rival Coast Guard in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Friday. The Bears took the first, 5-4, in eight innings before winning the nightcap, 4-3.

Springfield drops to 20-12-1 and remains in first place in the NEWMAC with a 10-4 conference record while the Bears improve to 20-14 overall and improve to 8-6 in conference play. The Pride will host Wheaton in a doubleheader to close the NEWMAC regular season needing one win to win the regular season championship.

For Coast Guard, Hayley Feindel threw a pair of complete games and struck out 23 to lead the Bears to a doubleheader sweep.

In the opener, senior Maddie Buchert was placed at second in the bottom of the eighth as part of the tiebreaker. Freshman Jesse RichardsonÂ's bunt was thrown away allowing Buchert to scored as junior catcher Allison Clott could not handle the throw giving the Bears the game one win.

Coast Guard scored twice in the first on a two-run double by sophomore Kaitlin Ward. The Pride got one in the top of the second on a solo homer by junior Breann Joyce.

Springfield tied the game on an unearned run in the fourth as senior Kelly Blake and Joyce led off with back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on an error before Blake scored on another error to tie the game 2-2.

The Bears took the lead right back in the home half of the fourth as Ward blasted solo homer.

The Pride tied the game in the fifth as senior Ally Rivelli singled and a two-base error put her on third before scoring on a wild pitch.

Richardson led off the sixth with a double and scored on WardÂ's double as the Bears took a 4-3 lead. Coast Guard was one out away from the win before an error allowed senior Kelsey Dunn, who led off with a single, to score sending the game to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Blake was placed on second when Ward, who was outstanding at the plate, made an outstanding play running into the centerfield fence and possibly taking a homer away from Joyce. Blake tagged and went to third, but Feindel got the next two batter to pop up to end the inning.

Ward wad 3 for 3 with all four RBIÂ's while Joyce was 3 for 4 and Rivelli had two hits.

Feindel scattered seven hits and allowed just one earned run while walking one and striking out 13 to get the win.

Sophomore Ashley Marino (12-6) went the distance for Springfield and allowed just five hits and just two earned runs, did not walk a batter and fanned five, but was the tough luck loser.

In the night cap, Springfield struck first in the second and it was Joyce once again hitting a solo homer for a 1-0 lead.

Junior Stacia SarwinskiÂ's two-run double highlighted a three-run second and senior Jamie Kim added a sacrifice fly as the Bears took the lead for good 3-1.

Coast Guard added an insurance run in the third on an RBI single by freshman Chloe Harmon scoring junior Holli Bastinck, who led off with a double.

Feindel was cruising as she allowed a single to Rivelli in the third and then did not allow a hit until Blake led off with single in the sixth. She struck out six straight in that span.

Joyce came up big once again with a two-run homer, her third home run of the day in the sixth to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Feindel retired the final six batters in order fanning three to pick up the win.

Feindel allowed six hits and three earned runs while not walking a batter and striking out ten to improve to 13-6 on the season. Sophomore Jennifer Joseph (9-4) went the distance for Springfield allowing seven hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out five.

Joyce was 2 for 3 with the two homers and three RBI to lead Springfield while Harmon was 2 for 2 leading the Bears at the plate.