Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Valiant bats had trouble getting going against a very good Coast Guard team on Wednesday afternoon at Nitchman Field, as the Manhattanville softball team dropped 2-0 and 3-0 decisions to the Bears in non-conference action.
 
Manhattanville (16-16) managed only seven hits on the afternoon against a good Coast Guard (18-11) pitching staff. Sophomore Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) was the lone Valiant with more than one hit on the day, going 2 for 7 at the top of the order.
 
The Valiants struggled at the plate in the first game of the day and the Bears didn't fare much better, but the home team managed to plate a pair of runs in the sixth inning and held on for the 2-0 win.
 
Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first five frames, as Valiant senior Katie Pitcher (Cold Spring, N.Y./Valley Central) and Coast Guard's Kristine Kahl traded zeroes. Pitcher also got some help from her defense, as Callara threw out a runner at the plate to end a Bear threat in the first inning.
 
However, Coast Guard was able to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on Hannah Inger's two-out, two-run single, and the Valiants went down in the seventh to close out the game.
 
Pitcher (1-4) was the hard-luck loser for Manhattanville, going six innings and allowing just the two runs on seven hits. Kahl (11-5) earned the win for Coast Guard, scattering two hits and striking out eight in the complete-game shutout.
 
Game two followed a similar pattern, as this time the Bears scored twice in the bottom of the first and that was all that they needed in the 3-0 victory.
 
Coast Guard got two in the opening frame off of sophomore Kristen Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y./The Ursuline School), coming on an RBI groundout by Morgan Kings and a run-scoring single by Holli Bastin.
 
Pitcher came on in relief in the second inning and limited the Bears to one unearned run the rest of the way, but Manhattanville was unable to muster any offense against Sammy Yuknat (7-6), who allowed only five hits in a complete-game effort.
 
Rodopoulos (7-10) suffered the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits in one inning. Pitcher allowed one run on four hits over the final five frames.
 
Manhattanville will close out Freedom Conference play on Saturday, when they host conference frontrunner DeSales for two games at Manhattanville Field beginning at noon.