CC 8, PU 0
CC 1, PU 0
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team used stellar pitching and some timely hitting from its three seniors to win two games against Philadelphia University in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The sweep completes the regular season for the Cougars (40-12 overall, 23-3 CACC), who set a school record for regular-season wins in a season while clinching at least a tie for first in the conference standings.
Seniors Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley), Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) and Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) each sparked the Cougar offense in the final home games of their careers. Genovese hit a solo home run in the first inning of Game 1 for a 1-0 lead. The shot to right was her 10th homer of the season, breaking the single-season record of nine held by former Cougars Stacy Falkowski (2007), Katie Jackson (2006) and Theresa Davison (2000). Then in the third, Frantellizzi blasted a three-run home run, her first of the season, for a 4-0 Caldwell advantage. It was Timbrook's turn in the sixth. With runners on first and second and the Cougars leading 6-0, Timbrook doubled off the right field fence to score both runs and end the game at 8-0.
Junior Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) hurled a three-hit shutout, her eighth of the season, to improve to 19-4. She struck out two and did not allow a walk while facing 20 batters. Ali Schmidt took the loss for the Rams (24-18, 16-8 CACC), giving up four runs on six hits in three innings.
In the second game, the Cougars scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Timbrook led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and advanced to third on a passed ball. Junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) stepped up and hit a single up the middle to score Timbrook and give the Cougars the only run they would need. The Rams advanced a runner to to third in both the fifth and seventh innings but did not score. In the seventh, freshman pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) struck out the final two batters with Maggie Desmond on third to end the game.
Wilson (16-5) gave up seven hits and struck out five for her third shutout this season. Schmidt went the distance in the second game and held Caldwell to four hits and one run in six innings. Desmond hit two doubles in a 3-for-3 performance at the plate for Philadelphia.
In addition to Genovese's record home run, Timbrook also set a program record with her 20th and 21st doubles of the season. Her double in the fourth inning of Game 2 was her 73rd hit of the season, tying the mark set by former All-American Gina Capardi in 2008 for hits in a season. This is the third time Caldwell has won 40 games overall in a season, following the 45-7 team in 2004 and the 40-11 squad in 2005. The regular-season crown is Caldwell's fifth, having finished first in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The senior trio of Frantellizzi, Genovese and Timbrook has won 146 games while recording 562 hits, 38 home runs and 322 runs batted in at Caldwell.
The Cougars will begin play at the CACC Tournament on Thursday, May 6 in Lakewood, N.J.
