CC 7, GCU 1
GCU 6, CC 5 (8 inn.)
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - In a rematch of last year's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference final, the Caldwell College softball team split a doubleheader with Georgian Court University Thursday afternoon at the GCU Softball Complex. The Cougars won the first game 7-1 before falling in extra innings in Game 2, 6-5. The results give Caldwell a 25-11 record on the season, including an 11-3 mark in conference play, while the Lions are now 27-11, 13-3 CACC.
Junior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) was in control of Game 1, scattering four hits while striking out six and walking one in a complete-game effort. Georgian Court managed to score an unearned run in the sixth, but Pulido kept the Lions' bats at bay to earn her 13th victory on the season. Sophomore Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) sparked the Cougar offense with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, including a double and a triple. She scored the first run of the game in the top of the third after tripling and coming home on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner). After junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) also hit a sacrifice fly in the third, Margiotta, right, led off the fifth with a double and scored on a single by sophomore Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) for a 3-0 lead. Senior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) also plated a run in the fifth with a single to put Caldwell ahead 4-0.
The Cougars answered Georgian Court's run in the sixth with three runs of their own in the top of the seventh. Cascone and sophomore Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) had run-scoring hits, while Timbrook drove in Cascone with a grounder. GCU's Diana Sansevera gave up seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in seven innings to drop to 16-5.
Caldwell started quickly in Game 2 with two runs in the top of the first inning. Timbrook hit a two-out double to score senior Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston), then came home on a single by Tamez. Another double by Timbrook in the third brought home Cascone for a 3-0 lead. A two-run double by Kelsey Cutler in the bottom of the third made it a one-run game, then a two-run homer from Jessica Comisky in the fourth put GCU on top 4-3. In the top of the sixth, Caldwell tied the game when Tamez singled in Genovese. Caldwell then took a 5-4 lead on a sacrifice fly from senior Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley) in the top of the seventh.
Pulido relieved starter Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) and gave up a lead-off single to Comisky. After Sammie Garofalo bunted Comisky to second, Rachel Ruch singled to plate Comisky with the tying run. The Lions retired the Cougars in order in the top of the eighth, then won the game on a single by Melissa DePalma that scored Jen Tartaglia from third with the game-winning run.
Wilson gave up eight hits and four runs, two earned, in six innings in a no-decision. Tamez, left, went 3-for 3 with two RBI to pace Caldwell offensively. Brooke Hull earned the win for Georgian Court, pitching 6 2/3 innings to improve to 7-2.
The Cougars return to action on Friday, Apr. 17 with a CACC doubleheader against Wilmington University. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
