Coast Guard softball ranked 15th in Division III

New London — Coast Guard Academy's softball team was ranked 15th in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) Division III preseason poll released Thursday.

The Bears were 38-4 overall and a 15-1 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) last season. Coast Guard won the NEWMAC regular-season title for the third straight season while winning its second straight NEWMAC tournament title. The Bears also made their third straight NCAA tournament appearance and finished the season ranked 17th in the final NFCA coaches' poll.

Senior first team All-American Haley Feindel, the NCAA Division III all-time leader with 1,206 strikeouts is back to lead the Bears. Feindel led the nation and set school records last season for wins (37), strikeouts (457), shutouts (26) and earned run average (0.56) en route to becoming the first Coast Guard player to win first-team All-America honors.

The Bears return three all-conference selections, including Feindel, junior third baseman Holli Bastinck (.370, 6 HR, 41 RBI) and sophomore shortstop Devin Fellman (.348, 5 HR, 31 RBI).

College women's basketball

• Becca Pope had 25 points, including five 3-point field goals, as Avery Point defeated Holyoke Community College 61-41. Freshman Alex Marchinkoski (13 points) and Elise Beauprez of Old Lyme (10) added double figures for the Pointers (10-6).

• Bianca Young had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Mitchell College in a 79-59 loss to Newbury in the New England Collegiate Conference. Sheanna James added 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Mitchell (5-13, 4-8), Kaylee Cerruto 11 points and Cora Harris 16 rebounds.

College men's basketball

• Ky Howard had 15 points and eight rebounds in St. Thomas More's 65-64 loss to CJEOTO Academy in the National Prep School Invitational at the University of Rhode Island. A.J. English added 12 points and Barrington Stevens 10 for St. Thomas More (21-4), which trailed 33-27 at halftime.

H.S. riflery

• Grant Buttermore fired a 189 out of 200, including a perfect score prone, to lead Grasso Tech to a 925-872 victory over Ellis Tech at the Quaker Hill Rod & Gun Club. Nicole Ladd followed with a 188 for the Eagles (4-1 overall, 3-1 Constitution State Conference), while David Gauthier and Brandon McNulty each shot a 184 and Santino Francischelli a 180.

Meadows returns for Niantic

• Former Niantic and Ledyard-Pawcatuck coach Todd Meadows will return to coach the Niantic American Legion baseball team this summer. Niantic won the Zone VI title last season and advanced to the state tournament. Meadows, a former New London player, replaces Tony Scarpa.

Casey signs letter of intent

• Lyman Memorial High School senior Bri Casey signed a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play next season for the women's soccer team at Division I Central Connecticut State University.

Casey, from Columbia, is a midfielder/forward, a three-time all-state pick and Connecticut Olympic Development player. She is the third-highest scorer in Lyman history and the Eastern Connecticut Conference record-holder for assists.

Casey is an honor roll student and fluent in Spanish, having completed several study-abroad programs in Spain and Mexico. Her honors level senior project at Lyman is on the increase in the number of head injuries related to youth sports, as well as the prevention and treatment of concussions in youth sports.