CC 5, HFU 4 (9 inn.)
HFU 5, CC 3
BRISTOL, Pa. - The Caldwell College softball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Holy Family University on Monday, winning the first game 5-4 in nine innings before losing Game 2 by the score of 5-3. The results give the Cougars an overall record of 14-8, including a 4-2 mark in the conference. The Tigers are now 12-15 overall, 7-4 CACC.
In the first game, Caldwell got on the scoreboard first with a solo home run by senior Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) in the top of the first inning. Holy Family answered in a big way in the bottom of the first, as Deanna Myers hit a three-run home run and Cassandra Black hit a solo blast to put the Tigers ahead 4-1. The lead held until the top of the fifth. Sophomore Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) and freshman Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) led off the inning with singles and eventually moved to second and third. With two out, sophomore Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) roped a double into left-centerfield to score two runs. Tamez (pictured) moved to third on a single by junior Annie Forte (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North), then stole home to tie the game at 4-4. The game went to extra innings, where freshman Amy Leal (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang) drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth for the go-ahead run. Junior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
Pulido went the distance, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out two and walking one in nine innings to improve to 8-1. Jody Searfoss pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief for Holy Family and took the loss.
The Cougars took an early lead in Game 2, as senior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) singled home Ryan in the top of the first. Again Holy Family responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, including a solo shot by Black, to lead 2-1. Kasey Barnes homered in the second and Black hit her third round-tripper of the day in the third to put the Tigers ahead 4-1. Cascone and Genovese drove in runs in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 4-3. But Searfoss led off the bottom of the fifth with Holy Family's sixth home run of the doubleheader to put the Tigers ahead to stay.
Freshman pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) gave up five runs on seven hits while fanning five in four innings to take the loss. Timbrook and junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) led the Cougar offense with two hits apiece. Searfoss went the distance for Holy Family, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and five walks in seven innings.
Caldwell hosts Felician College in another CACC doubleheader on Tuesday, Apr. 6. The first game is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
