NEW LONDON, Conn. - Emerson baseball visited Coast Guard for a Saturday afternoon NEWMAC doubleheader on the final day of the regular season. The hosts won the first game, 4-0, behind a dominant pitching performance before taking the second game, 5-0.
Emerson's season ends with the Lions amassing a 6-26 (2-14 NEWMAC) record, while Coast Guard heads to the NEWMAC tournament at 24-9 (13-3 NEWMAC).
GAME ONE: Coast Guard 4, Emerson 0
Benny Guevara made his fifth start of the season for Emerson in the first game. Coast Guard sent out Vito Giordano for his eighth start this year.
The Bears took an early lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-out double by Parker Madden which drove in one. Madden scored on the next at-bat after a single by Richard Barkley was misplayed in the outfield, allowing Barkley to advance to third and giving the home team a 2-0 lead.
Coast Guard extended their lead in their next at-bats on an RBI single by Luke Percifield and later made it a 4-0 game in the bottom of the fourth when John Carroll scored from third base after Percifield hit into a fielder's choice.
Guevara has a respectable outing despite being pinned with the loss, allowing ten hits and striking out two while pitching the whole game. Giordano was dominant on the mound for Coast Guard, giving up only three hits and amassing thirteen strikeouts before being relieved by Ryan Priddy at the start of the ninth inning. Priddy struck out one in a 1-2-3 inning to secure the win.
Braeden O'Connell,
Blake Benway, and
Jake Okamoto recorded the three hits for Emerson, while Percifield, Madden, and Barkley combined for four hits and four RBIs to lead Coast Guard's offense. Kael Godshalk had a productive day at the plate for the Bears as well, going 2-4 and lacing a double in the bottom of the sixth.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Benny Guevara - 8.0 IP, 10 HA, 4 RA, 4 ER, 2 SO
Braeden O'Connell - 1-4 (2 SO)
Blake Benway - 1-4 (2 SO)
Jake Okamoto - 1-3
GAME TWO: Coast Guard 5, Emerson 0
Aidan Rice was handed the ball for his fifth start this season, while Coast Guard went with Harrison Milbert for his ninth start.
The Bears got on the board first in the bottom of the second after Charles Red tagged up on a fly ball off the bat of Percifield. The score was made 2-0 in the next at-bat after Wyatt Duthu drove in a runner from second with a single to center field.
Coast Guard extended it to 3-0 after Red hit into a fielder's choice, which allowed Madden to score from third. An RBI double by Carson Cho in the bottom of the fourth made it 4-0, and the final run of the ball game came in the bottom of the seventh when Percifield scored from third on a steal attempt by Duthu.
Rice allowed ten hits and struck out eight in six innings before being relieved by
Ty Bourne. Bourne pitched a perfect seventh inning and got two outs in the eighth before he was replaced by
Jake Morvillo, who walked two before getting the final out. Milbert went eight innings and allowed two hits while striking out six. Ryan Karman gave up one hit hile finishing the game.
Justin Fields,
Briggs Loveland, and
Tobey Roberts had Emerson's three hits in the game, with Roberts' being a double in the top of the eighth. Duthu went 3-4 and Cho went 2-3 while five other Coast Guard batters recorded a hit.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Aidan Rice - 6.0 IP, 10 HA, 5 RA, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
Justin Fields - 1-4 (2B, SO)
Briggs Loveland - 1-4 (SO)
Tobey Roberts - 1-2 (2B, BB)
