Cambridge, MA --- The WPI softball team closed out the 2023 campaign with a tight 3-2 loss to Coast Guard on day two of the NEWMAC Tournament. The Engineers finish the season at 20-20 overall, while Coast Guard improves to 31-10 and moves on to play Babson in today's seventh game.
The Engineers jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but three unanswered runs from the Bears put the hosts up 3-1 after two. WPI rallied for a run in the top of the sixth, but couldn't send the tying run across the plate.
Destiny Lum (Kahaluʻu, HI) led the Crimson and Gray with two hits, while Jocelyn Diaz (Reedley, CA) drove in a run. Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) suffered the loss in the circle, going 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
For Coast Guard, Lillia Farlow (Carrollton, TX) doubled and drove in two runs, while Isabelle Shroyer (Marysville, Ohio) had two hits and an RBI. Dana Walker (Macon, GA) went the distance, allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts to move to 17-4 on the season.
The Engineers plated a run in their first at-bat, sparked by a lead-off walk from Sydney Russell (Arlington, VA). A Lindsay Ambrosino (Chelmsford, MA) single and a Lum fly out put Russell on third where she scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Coast Guard took over the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Singles from Natalie Beck (Billings, MT) and a Selina Serna (San Diego, CA) both scored on a double to deep right off the bat of Farlow to make it 2-1.
The Bears pushed it to 3-1 in the bottom of the second. Katie Becker (Jacksonville, NC) singled through the right side and then advanced on a wild pitch. Shroyer then singled through the left side and Becker scored for the two-run lead.
WPI got one back in the top of the sixth to close the gap to 3-2. Lum singled to open the frame and pinch runner Ashley Amaro (Taunton, MA) stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Diaz then sent Amaro home on a single to make it a one-run deficit. A walk to Kallie Case (Arlington, VA) then put the game-tying run on base, but a groundout ended the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Coast Guard's Walker sat the Engineers down in order to finish out the victory.