Cambridge, Mass. - May 2, 2018 - Playing in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship Tournament at Briggs Field on the campus of MIT, the Springfield College softball team defeated Coast Guard, 6-5, in its first game, but fell to top-seeded MIT, 1-0, in the second game on Wednesday afternoon.

The split leaves the Pride with a record of 26-12 overall, as the maroon and white will now take on WPI at MIT on Friday, May 4 at 12 p.m. 

Springfield College 6, Coast Guard 5 -- Game One 

Senior pitcher Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) held the Bears hitless through 5.0 innings, as she only walked one batter and struck out five. After Marisa Valenti (Trumbull, Conn.) came on in relief, Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.) finished off the game, holding Coast Guard to just two hits and one run while striking out three.

Offensively, Alexyss Conley (Bloomingburg, N.Y.) and Loda had two hits apiece, while Loda also notched a team-best two RBI.

The Pride got right to work in the bottom of the first inning as Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) drew a lead-off walk and stole second, before Kirsten Drobiak (Griswold, Conn.) singled up the middle to plate Gasdia, giving the Pride a 1-0 lead. After Allie Wheeler (Agawam, Mass.) got on base and Conley singled to load the bases, Loda doubled to left center, plating Wheeler and Drobiak to make it 3-0. Later in the inning, Conley would come home on a defensive mishap from the Bears, capping the four-run frame.

Springfield College added two more in the bottom of the third when Conley scored on a wild pitch, before Loda came home on another error from the Bears to make it 6-0, Springfield College, after three innings.

Coast Guard pulled back to within a pair with a four-run top of the fifth inning, and added another in the top of the seventh, but Springfield College was able to hold on for the 6-5 win.

MIT 1, Springfield College 0 -- Game Two 

Loda took the ball in game two and pitched 6.0 innings, giving up just two hits while striking out five, but suffered the loss as MIT was able to defeat the Pride, 1-0, at Briggs Field on Wednesday afternoon. 

MIT starter Ravene Nasser (Methuen, Mass.) pitched 6.0 frames, allowing just two hits while striking out four, before Colleen Campbell (Snoqualmie, Wash.) picked up her first save of the season as she picked up the final three outs to seal the win for the Engineers.

MIT earned their lone run in the bottom of the fifth, when Madi Pickett (Santa Barbara, Calif.) scored on a ground out to short. The run proved enough to allow the Engineers to emerge victorious, as they will welcome Babson to campus on Friday, May 4 and will take on the Beavers at 4 p.m.