CC 7, PU 0
CC 10, PU 1 (6 inn.)
BRIARCLIFF, N.Y. - Senior Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) recorded her 200th career hit in a doubleheader sweep of Pace University Wednesday afternoon at Pace Field. She is the fifth Cougar softball player to reach the 200-hit milestone in the history of the program. The non-conference wins give the Cougars a 24-10 record on the season, while the Setters fall to 16-16.
In the first game, Caldwell got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning with a two-run home run by freshman Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's), her first homer of her collegiate career. After junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) singled home a run in the fourth, Caldwell pushed three runs across in the top of the fifth to lead 6-0. Genovese (left), who entered the day with 198 hits in her career, hit an RBI single in the inning and later scored on a double by senior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos). Freshman Cassandra Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) hit a pinch-hit, run-scoring single in the sixth to make the score 7-0.
Junior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) blanked the Setters, tossing a three-hit shutout while fanning three and walking none. Timbrook and Wilson, who also hit a double, each had a pair of hits to pace the Cougar bats. Kelly Fisher gave up seven runs on seven hits in six innings to absorb the loss for Pace.
Genovese achieved the 200-hit milestone in her first at-bat of Game 2, hitting an infield single in the top of the first inning. The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth, when freshman Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills) blasted her first career home run for a 1-0 Caldwell lead. Then in the fifth, freshman Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) and Genovese singled before Timbrook hit a three-run shot to give the Cougars a 4-0 advantage. It was Timbrook's team-leading seventh homer of the season. Pace scored its first and only run of the day in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Nicole Schultheis. But Caldwell continued to use the long ball, as Garofolo led off the sixth with her first home run of the season. After Timbrook drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Ryan came home on an error, Parker, right, crushed her second homer of the game, a three-run shot to left for a 10-1 lead.
Wilson pitched all six innings, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out six to improve to 9-4 on the season. Colby Hochmuth lasted five innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits and four walks for Pace.
Genovese is the first Cougar to record 200 career hits since Candice Collins in 2004. She now has 202 hits and is tied for third on Caldwell's all-time list with Theresa Davison (1999-2002). Former All-American Kim Mahoney holds the program's hit record with 253 from 1998-2001.
Caldwell returns to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Thursday, Apr. 15 with a doubleheader at defending CACC champion Georgian Court University. The first game is set to start at 2:30 p.m. in Lakewood, N.J.
