May 10, 2012
Lisko Liner Lifts Bears to NCAA Win
MANSFIELD, Conn. -- Freshman Erin Lisko’s
RBI line drive single to left in the top of eighth inning led
fifth-seeded Coast Guard to a 2-1 win over fourth-seeded Ithaca in
game two at the Mansfield Regional of the 2012 NCAA Division III
Softball Championship at Eastern Connecticut State University.
The Bears, the New England Women’s and Men’s
Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament champions improve to 27-17
with the tournament opening win will take on top-seeded and host
Eastern Connecticut on Friday at 4 p.m. in a winners bracket game.
Ithaca, the Empire 8 regular season and tournament champions, drop
to 30-13 and will take on eighth-seeded Lesley on Friday at 11 a.m.
in an elimination game.
Senior All-American Hayley Feindel, the NCAA all-time win
(123) and strikeouts (1439) leader scattered six singles allowed an
unearned run did not walk a batter and struck out eight to improve
to 20-8 on the season.
Ithaca struck quickly with an unearned run in the bottom of
the first as Francesa Busa led off with a single, Rachel
Dell’Orto reached on an error and both runners advanced on a
passed ball. Following a strikeout, Sydney Folk grounded out
scoring Busa.
The Bears stranded six runner through the first four innings
off starting pitcher Sam Bender before they tied the game off
reliever Jillian Olmstead in the fifth.
In the fifth, sophomore Kaitlin Ward’s two-out RBI
single scored freshman Jesse Richardson, who slide in just under
the tag to tie the game 1-1. Richardson had reached on a
fielder’s choice and moved to second when junior Holli
Bastinck drew a walk.
Coast Guard had runners on first and second with one out in
the top of the seventh, but Olmstead got out of the
inning.
In the first extra frame, Harmon reached on an error, diving
into first to beat Folk to the bag and junior Stacia Sarwinski
sacrificed her to second. Following a ground out Lisko laced a
single to left to give the Bears the lead.
Lisko continues to swing a hot bat out of the ninth spot in
the order. The freshman had five hits during the Bears three wins
on the final day of the NEWMAC tournament on Saturday.
Feindel retired the Bombers in order in the eighth to
preserve the win.
Richardson was 3 for 4 accounting for three of the Bears
seven hits in the win.
Release courtesy of Coast Guard Academy Sports
Information
