WORCESTER -- The WPI softball team held off a late charge from visiting Coast Guard, as the #6 Engineers topped the #7 Bears, 8-6, in the NEWMAC Tournament Play-In Game at Rooftop field on Monday. WPI (21-17-1) moves on to the double-elimination tournament and will play #3 MIT at Wheaton on Tuesday at 2:30pm. Coast Guard sees its 2024 campaign end at 13-18.
 
The Engineers battled back from an early 0-2 deficit and led 8-3 late. However, Coast Guard plated three and had the tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth, but WPI got the final out to seal the victory. Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) got the win in the circle for the Engineers, throwing five innings without an earned run, giving up seven hits and two walks. Dana Walker (Macon, GA) suffered the loss for the Bears, throwing four innings, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.
 
WPI's offense was led by Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) who finished 2-for-3 with two hits, including a home run, and two runs scored. Destiny Lum (Kahalu?u, HI) had a double and two RBI, while Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) and Sydney Russell (Arlington, VA) each finished with two hits and RBI.
 
Julia Breidenthal (Leawood, KS) led the Bears' offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Lillia Farlow (Carrollton, TX) had two hits and an RBI. Natalie Beck (Billings, MT), Emma Behel (Elliot City, MD), Christine Carey (San Diego, CA), and Madison Long (Raleigh, NC) added RBI.
 
The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. A fielding error from WPI allowed the first batter to reach, and after a Beck sacrifice bunt, Breidenthal singles to left field to send home Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, OH) for the first run. With two outs, Farlow singled down the right field line to plate Breidenthal for the second run of the frame before WPI got out of the inning.
 
The Engineers took over the lead with five runs in the bottom of the second inning, backed by four doubles. With one out, O'Brien and Nagy launched back-to-back doubles to get WPI on the board. After a walk from Callie Allison (Milford, OH), Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA) and Lum added to the doubles party, connecting back-to-back to make it 4-2. A line-out accounted for the second out of the frame, but Russell singled home Lum to push the lead to 5-2.
 
WPI padded the lead with a run in the bottom of the third, as Nagy blasted a solo home run to left center, her team-leading eighth of the season. Coast Guard got one back in the top of the fourth. A fielder's choice and an error put two Bears on with two outs, setting up an RBI single to center from Beck to cut it to 6-3.
 
The Engineers pushed it to 8-3 with a pair in the bottom of the fifth. Russell led off with a single up the middle and a pair of walks loaded the bases. O'Brien then singled home the first run before Allison later hit a sacrifice fly to score the second run, putting WPI up by five.
 
Coast Guard made some noise in the top of the seventh. Breidenthal, Shroyer, and Farlow led off the frame with singles, before an RBI walk from Behel made it 8-4. Long then reached on a fielder's choice to score another run and cut the lead to three. An RBI ground-out from Carey made it a two-run game at 8-6 before Shaina Lazarus (Thousand Oaks, CA) got the final batter of the game on an infield pop-out.