Springfield, Mass. - April 18, 2021 - The Springfield College softball program allowed just 10 hits in two games and produced a pair of shutout victories over Coast Guard in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play. In the first game, the Pride blanked the Bears by a 3-0 score before cruising to a 6-0 triumph in the second contest to complete the sweep.

It was a strong bounce-back performance from the Pride coming of its first losses of the year last weekend as it improved to 6-2 on the season, while Coast Guard slipped to 6-4.  

Springfield will host Clark on Saturday, April 24 for another NEWMAC doubleheader starting at 12pm. 

Game 1 - Springfield 3, Coast Guard 0

Springfield struck for a pair of runs in the opening inning and the duo of Gillian Kane (New Canaan, Conn.) and Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.) combined for a four-hit shutout as the Pride earned a 3-0 win.

In the top of the first, Dana Serricchio (Stamford, Conn.) earned a leadoff walk and Ava Fernandez (Cedar Grove, N.J.) drilled a single to put a pair of runners on.  After the pair moved into scoring position on a groundout, Kayla Stvan (Parlin, N.J.) plated Serrichio with an infield groundout before Sara Mulligan (Cheshire, Conn.) roped a run-scoring single to left to give the Pride an early 2-0 advantage. 

Kane got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the third thanks to a double play before she was able to induce an inning-ending groundout. 

Springfield tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as Kane reached second on a leadoff error.  Two batters later, Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) blistered a double to left center as Kane crossed the plate for the Pride's third run. 

Kane would allow just three hits over six innings of play and Gell closed the door after scattering one hit in her one inning of work. 

Game 2 - Springfield 6, Coast Guard 0

Ashley Pugliese (Long Island, N.Y.) was outstanding in the circle as she went the distance, striking out seven and scattering six base hits as she helped lead the Pride to the shutout victory.  Both Ava Fernandez and Lucy Puskas registered a pair of hits and Kayla Stvan recorded two RBI.

After Coast Guard was unable to take advantage of a one-out, bases loaded situation in the bottom of the first, Springfield responded with four runs in the top of the second to seize control of the game.  With the bases loaded, both Dana Serricchio and Fernandez drew walks to force in a pair of runs, before Stvan was hit by a pitch to make it a 3-0 game.  Puskas then followed with an infield single, allowing Serrichio to cross the plate, as Springfield opened up a 4-0 cushion.

Pugliese would then find her groove, not allowing a runner past first base the remainder of the game as the Pride cruised to their sixth win of the season.  Springfield tacked on two more runs in the sixth, as Christina D'Ambro (New Hartford, N.Y.) cracked a run-scoring double and would later cross the plate herself following a Stvan sacrifice fly.