Red Hot Serna Leads Bears to Third Straight Win

Zach Serna...Photo is courtesy of Coast Guard Academy

WESTFIELD Mass. --  Sophomore Zach Serna continued his hot hitting by delivering a two-out RBI single in the eighth to break a 7-7 tie leading the Bears to an 8-7 win over Westfield State in a non-conference game.

Serna had three hits for the third straight game and he is 9 for his last 11 to increase hit team leading batting average to an even .400 leading the Bears to three straight wins improving to 11-13 overall. Westfield State drops to 12-11 on the year.

Coast Guard struck first in the first when Serna singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Westfield State took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth before the Bears erupted for four runs in the fifth.

In the fifth, Coast Guard scored its first two runs on wild pitches before an RBI triple by freshmanWill Stephens, who would also score on a wild pitch for the 5-2 lead.

Westfield State came right back with five in the fifth with the big hit being a three-run double by Dan Whigham as the Owls took a 7-5 lead.

The Bears got one run in the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice by freshman Luke Thompson.

In the eighth, junior Timbo Duncan led off with a single, stole second and score on an RBI single by Thompson to tie the game 7-7. Thompson moved to third on a single by senior Mark Behne before Serna's single gave the Bears the eventual winning run.

The Owls threatened in the home half of the eighth loading the bases by freshman Jack Brandt got a strikeout and double play ball to end the threat.

Stephens came on in the ninth and got all three batters to fly out to right field for his first career save.

Freshman Dan Finn (2-1) got the win in relief as he worked 2 2/3 allowing three hits and an earned run while walking four and fanning two.

Thompson, Stevens and senior Ed Lazowski each had two hits for Coast Guard as the Bears finished with 13 hits in the win.