CC 11, GBC 2 (6 inn.)
CC 8, GBC 4
CALDWELL, N.J. - Senior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) totaled five hits, seven runs batted in and a pair of home runs to lift the Caldwell College softball team to a pair of victories over Goldey-Beacom College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The sweep gives the Cougars a 12-6 overall record, including a 3-1 mark in conference play. The Lightning falls to 9-6, 3-3 CACC.
Caldwell took an early lead in Game 1 with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Timbrook and freshman Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills) hit RBI singles, while sophomore Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) plated Timbrook with a grounder. Goldey-Beacom scored its first run of the game on a solo home run by Jacqueline Waddle in the top of the fifth. The Cougars answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-run home run by Timbrook, that put Caldwell ahead 6-1. Senior Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) also had a run-scoring double in the inning. The Lightning's Shannon Graves hit a homer in the top of the sixth to make the score 6-2 Caldwell. In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Cassandra Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) blasted a pinch-hit, two-run home run for an 8-2 Cougar advantage. After sophomore Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) reached on an error, freshman Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) drove her in with a double to right-centerfield. Timbrook ended the game with her second long-ball of the contest and fourth of the season. For the game she went 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored.
Junior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) held the Lightning to three hits and one run in five innings to improve to 6-1 on the year. Leanne Miller (2-1) went the distance for Goldey-Beacom and took the loss.
In the second game it was the Lightning that got off to a fast start, loading the bases in the top of the second on a hit-batsman, an infield single and an error. A pair of walks and a single by Lauren Witzke gave the Lightning a 3-0 lead. Danielle Rice led off the top of the third with a home run to left-centerfield, putting the visitors on top 4-0. Caldwell mounted its comeback with two out in the bottom of the third. Genovese walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Timbrook's single to right. Sophomore Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) followed with a double to score Timbrook, then came home on a double from freshman Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) to make the score 4-3.
In the bottom of the fifth, Schymanski tied the game with a single that plated Genovese from third. The Cougars took the lead for good on a two-run double by Cefolo that put Caldwell ahead 6-4. Timbrook roped a double in the bottom of the sixth to score Genovese, then later came home on Schymanski's sacrifice fly. Schymanski and Timbrook each had a pair of hits, with Schymanski driving in three runs and Timbrook plating two. Timbrook's 5-for-7 day improved her team-leading batting average to .467 on the season.
Freshman Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's), right, entered the game after Rice's homer in the third inning and blanked the Lightning the rest of the way, allowing four hits while striking out six and walking none in five innings of work. Heather Draper pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief for GBC and absorbed the loss.
Next up for Caldwell is a non-conference doubleheader against American International College on Sunday, Mar. 28. The first game starts at 12:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
