NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Wellesley College softball team opened up play at the 2010 NEWMAC Tournament with a split. The Blue opened the day with a 5-4 defeat over #5 Clark, and then dropped the nightcap to #1 Coast Guard, 8-0, in five innings.

In the first game of the afternoon, Wellesley jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings, but had to hold off fifth-seeded Clark, 5-4 as junior centerfielder Brittany Bakacs threw out senior Melissa Traft, the tying run, at the plate to end the game.

Wellesley led 5-1 going to the top of the seventh, before Traft laced a three-run double to pull the Cougars to within 5-4. Sophomore Meghan Lennon had a single to center, but Bakacs threw a strike to freshman catcher Taylor Yamauchi, who put the tag on Traft to end the game.

The Blue struck for single runs in the first two innings. In the first, senior Megan Woods RBI single scored classmate Ilana Orloff while in the second starting pitcher, freshman Lauren Goldfarbs two-out single scored rookie Samantha Spiga for a 2-0 lead.

In the third, Wellesley struck for three runs all with two outs. Spigas two-out single plated first-year Mara Blesoff. Junior Sinta Cebrian followed with an RBI single before Goldfarb ripped an RBI double to left to give Wellesley at 5-0 lead and chase Clark starting pitcher junior Sarah Carter (11-6), who took the loss.

Clark got on the board in the fifth as sophomore Erin Murphy led off with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by senior Lauren Blake.

Freshman Nicole Meuse was outstanding in relief for Clark as she retired all ten batters she faced, six by strikeout. Goldfarb (11-4) went the distance and allowed six hits and four runs, three earned, while walking seven and striking out six to get the win. Blake had two hits to lead Clark while Goldfarb and Spiga each had two hits for the Blue.

In game two, Coast Guard sophomore Hayley Feindel fired her third no-hitter of the season and fourth of her career and senior Courtney Wolf and freshman Stacia Sarwinski had back-to-back two-run doubles to highlight a four run first inning as top-seeded Coast Guard beat fourth-seeded Wellesley 8-0, in five innings, on the opening day of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) double elimination tournament.

Feindel was dominating as she walked the leadoff batter and then retired the next 15, nine by strikeout, to improve to 25-7 on the season. She leads the nation in wins, strikeouts (299) and shutouts (11).

Coast Guard freshman Megan Cook led off the second with a single and scored on an RBI single by junior Becky Miller. Junior Amanda Frederick followed with a double and then Miller and Frederick each scored on a wild pitches as the Bears took a 7-0 lead after just two innings.

First-year Mara Blesoff appeared to break up Feindel’s no-hit bid leading off the fifth, but Sarwinski threw out Blesoff at first base after her liner got through the infield into right field. Cook then ended the game with a deep fly ball over the centerfielder’s head for an RBI single which scored Wolf.

Sarwinski, Cook and Frederick each had two hits, while Wolf and Sarwinski drove in a pair of runs each for the Bears, who are ranked third in New England and improved to 27-7 on the season. First-year Sarah Schwartzmeyer (7-2) took the loss for Wellesley, she allowed nine hits and eight runs, five earned, while walking two and striking out three.

The tournament continues on Saturday with four games at the Coast Guard Academy. Clark will play Babson in an elimination game at 10 a.m. before sixth-seeded Wheaton plays Wellesley in an elimination game at noon. Coast Guard will take on second-seeded Springfield, a 12-11 winner over third-seeded Babson, on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Coast Guard Academy.

2010 NEWMAC Tournament Bracket