CLERMONT, Fla. - Coast Guard opened the 2017 season splitting two extra inning games falling to Emmanuel 15-14 in eight innings and topping Muhlenburg 4-3 in nine innings Sunday at the PFX Games in Clermont, Florida.
The Saints scored 11 runs in the final three innings to comeback from a seven run deficit to win game one in eight innings 15-14.
The Bears start the year 0-1 while Emmanuel earns their first win of the season (1-0).
Freshman Courtney McKenna began her career with a bang going 5-5 with five RBI's, four runs scored, two double and a grand slam. Junior Casey Cruzpino went 2-3 with five RBI's as well, her first career home run and a double. Freshman Julia Ferris went 1-4 with two RBI's while sophomore Malia Hindle and freshman Kayla Sowers each had an RBI. Junior Emma Hvozdovich was 2-4 with a double and three runs scored.
The Saints were led by sophomore Casey Sheehan who went 3-5 with three RBI's, two runs scored and a home run. Freshman Sydney Rogers went 3-5 with two RBI's, two runs scored, a triple and a double. Freshman Kerry Sendrick was 3-5 with two runs scored and two RBI's while Sophomore Ashley Skey was 1-4 with a home run and three RBI's.
The Bears jumped out to a two run lead in the top of the first with McKenna and Cruzpino both doubling home runs.
The Saints answered in the bottom of the first with four runs of their own with a sacrifice fly from sophomore Megan Kieselback followed by a two run single from senior Susie Kieselback and a RBI double from senior Brenna Gilmore.
After two scoreless inning between the two teams Coast Guard erupted for nine runs between the fourth and sixth inning. McKenna crushed a grand slam to center of this stretch and Ferris added two RBI's of her own.
After the Saints scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth the Bears answered with three runs in the top of the seventh making the score 14-8 going into the bottom of the inning. The three runs came off the bat of Cruzpino who drilled her first career home run to center driving in McKenna and Hvozdovich.
Emmanuel tied the game in the bottom of the sixth scoring six runs highlighted by a home run by Sheehan to left center plating three runs.
The Saints completed the comeback in the bottom of the eighth as senior Kara Madden singled to right scoring pinch runner sophomore Briana Ong for the 15-14 victory.
In her first career start freshman Julia Ferris (0-1) pitched 6.2 innings giving up nine earned runs, ten hits and one walk. Sophomore Mackenzie Everett pitched two thirds of an inning in relief allowing four earned runs, two hits and four walks.
Sophomore Olivia Burgos (1-0) earned the win in relief for Emmanuel pitching three innings giving up three earned runs on six hits and striking out three. Senior Jill Kilcoyne started the game going five innings allowing two earned runs, walking four and striking out three.
Senior Sarah Cammuso pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth innings as the Bears won their first game of the season 4-3 over the Mules.
Coast Guard improved to 1-1 after day one and Muhlenberg dropped their first of the season falling to 1-1.
Cammuso finished the game 1-3 with a single and an RBI. Junior Emma Hvozdovich went 1-2 with an RBI while sophomore Sharayah Simco tacked on her first RBI of the season. Junior Casey Cruzpino earned three walks, with a run scored and a stolen base.
The Mules were led by senior Sarah Merlo who went 2-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk. Junior Paige Seitz went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI while freshman Sarah Schubert went 1-2 with a run scored.
Coast Guard scored in the first inning for the second game in a row as they were able to load the bases before Simco forced a walk pushing across freshman Claire Hurley for the early 1-0 lead.
Both pitchers kept the game scoreless until the fifth inning when the Bears pushed another run across as Hvozdovich singled up the middle scoring Carly Hattman.
Coast Guard tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and third, sophomore Malia Hindle broke for second forcing the throw from the catcher. Cruzpino, at third, broke for home sliding in safe making the score 3-0 going into the seventh.
The Mules managed to tie it up in the top of the seventh as Seitz plated Muhlenburg's first run of the game scoring Schubert with a single through the right side. Sophomore Kristy Selby then reached on an error scoring Seitz from second followed by a double from Merlo scoring Selby and tying the game at three forcing the second extra inning game of the day for the Bears.
Coast Guard managed to keep Muhlenberg off the board in both the eighth and ninth.
Hindle started off the bottom of the ninth inning with a bunt single to the left side moving freshman Sarah Kemp over to third. After Hindle stole second, Cammuso then stepped up and knocked a single to right center for the walk-off win.
Freshman Julia Ferris (1-1) earned her first collegiate win pitching nine innings giving up one earned run on seven hits and one strikeout.
Junior Haley Fredak earned the no decision in the start pitching five and a third innings allowing three earned runs on three hits, striking out five and walking six. Freshman Sarah Siclari (1-1) took the loss in relief pitching two and two third innings allowing two hits and one unearned run.
Coast Guard is back in action tomorrow, March 6th, as they take on Drew and Immaculata. First pitch for game one is 10:30 followed by the second game at 1:00.