CC 10, SCSU 8 (10 inn.)
LHU 8, CC 7 (11 inn.)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Caldwell College softball team worked overtime in its season-opening doubleheader at the Rebel Spring Games, beating St. Cloud State 10-8 in 10 innings before falling to Lock Haven University 8-7 in 11 innings Saturday at the Osceola County Softball Complex. The games, which lasted a combined six hours, are the first two of 12 contest for the Cougars (1-1) in Florida.
In the first game against St. Cloud State, senior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) blasted a two-out grand slam home run to deep centerfield in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 10-8 win. Caldwell, which allowed a pair of runs in the top of the 10th to trail 8-6, loaded the bases on two walks in addition to placing a runner on second base in accordance with the international tie-break rule.
After falling behind 5-2 through two innings, the Cougars pulled even with a two-run homer by senior shortstop Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) in the fifth and a run-scoring, pinch-hit double from freshman Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills) in the sixth. Following a Huskies run in the eighth, junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) doubled home sophomore Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) to tie the game and set up Timbrook's heroics. Timbrook and Garofolo each had three hits, while Genovese had two hits. Freshman pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) allowed five runs on six hits in the first two innings, then blanked the Huskies over the next four innings. She struck out five and walked one. Freshman pitcher Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) worked the last four inning and earned the win. Heather Trobec pitched all 9 2/3 innings for SCSU (7-8) and took the loss, while Ally Koski hit her fourth home run of the season.
In the second game it was Caldwell who took the early lead, taking advantage of four Lock Haven errors to build a 4-1 lead after two innings. Two run singles from Amanda Gutmaker in the fourth and Kelsey Mullins in the fifth allowed Lock Haven (3-4) to take a 5-4 advantage. Freshman Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) singled home freshman Amy Leal (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang) to tie the game at 5-5. In the eighth, Cascone plated Leal with a single for a 6-5 Caldwell lead. With two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the eighth, a Caldwell error allowed Lock Haven to tie the score and extend the game. Again in the 10th, the Cougars scored on a double by Leal that scored Garofolo. But two more errors resulted in another game-tying run by Lock Haven. After holding Caldwell scoreless in the top of the 11th, Lock Haven ended the game in its favor on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Brittany Patacky.
Leal finished with two doubles, two walks and three runs in her first career start, while Cascone went 3-for-6 with two RBI for Caldwell. Junior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA.Nordhoff) started and allowed 11 hits and five runs, two earned, in 6 2/3 innings. Schymanski was solid in relief, giving up three unearned runs on two hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Sarah Morse pitched all but 2/3 of an inning and earned the win for Lock Haven, the defending NCAA Division II national champions.
The Cougars continue play at the Rebel Spring Games on Sunday, Mar. 14, facing Shepherd University at 9:00 a.m. and Adelphi University at 11:00 a.m.
