LAKEWOOD, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team suffered its second loss at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Softball Tournament, losing to host Georgian Court University Saturday afternoon at the GCU Softball Complex. The defeat eliminates the Cougars (42-14) from the tournament, while the Lions (37-16) advance to the finals against Dominican College.
The Lions scored all seven of their runs in the first three innings. Rachel Ruch hit a two-run home run and Brooke Hull hit a solo shot in the top of the first inning, then Jen Tartaglia hit a home run in the second for a 4-0 lead. A pair of errors, a two-run double by Hull and an RBI single from Donnie Brossoie in the third made it 7-0 Georgian Court. Caldwell began its comeback in the bottom of the third, when CACC Player of the Year Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) doubled home freshman Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) and sophomore Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) to cut the deficit to 7-2.
The Cougars put runners on base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but did not score. Down to their final two outs in the seventh, Caldwell loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Senior Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley) followed with a single to score sophomore Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley). The next batter, pinch hitter Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) was hit by a pitch, plating junior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) to make the score 7-4. After a grounder by Ryan brought home freshman Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills), Cascone hit a two-out single that scored freshman Katie Dellaratta (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) to pull the Cougars to within one, 7-6. With the tying run on second, Lions' pitcher Diana Sansevera struck out the next batter to end the game.
Ryan, pictured, finished the game with three hits, a run and an RBI, while Timbrook and Garofolo each had two hits for Caldwell. Junior Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) lasted two innings and allowed six hits and seven runs, four earned. Freshman Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) had a strong game in relief, holding the Lions to two hits while striking out four without a walk in five innings. Sansevera went the distance and gave up six runs on 11 hits while walking six and fanning four to earn the win. Cascone, who batted .636 and scored four runs in the tournament, and Timbrook, who hit two home runs and had nine RBI in four games, were named to the CACC All-Tournament Team.
The Cougars, who were ranked fourth in last week's NCAA Division II East Region rankings, will await to hear if they will receive an at-large bid to next week's eight-team East Region Tournament.
2010 CACC Softball Tournament, hosted by Georgian Court - May 6-8, Lakewood, N.J.
Thursday, May 6
Game 1: #1 Dominican 6, #8 USP 1
Game 2: #4 Holy Family 3, #5 Philadelphia 2 (11 inn.)
Game 3: #2 Caldwell 8, #7 Post 0 (5 inn.)
Game 4: #6 Concordia 5, #3 Georgian Court 4
Game 5: #1 Dominican 4, #4 Holy Family 3
Game 6: #2 Caldwell 4, #6 Concordia 0
Game 7: #8 USP 7, #5 Philadelphia 2 (Philadelphia eliminated)
Game 8: #3 Georgian Court 17, #7 Post 9 (6 inn.) (Post eliminated)
Friday, May 7
Game 9: #6 Concordia 4, #8 USP 2 (9 inn.)
Game 10: #3 Georgian Court 6, #4 Holy Family 2
Game 11: #1 Dominican 7, #2 Caldwell 2
Game 12: #3 Georgian Court 2, #6 Concordia 0
Saturday, May 8
Game 13: #3 Georgian Court 7, #2 Caldwell 6
Game 14: #3 Georgian Court 11, #1 Dominican 10
Game 15: #1 Dominican 7, #3 Georgian Court 6
CACC All-Tournament Team
Cara Piesecki, Dominican - MVP
Diedre Jeppson, Dominican
Ashley Corrao, Dominican
Nicole Scarillo, Dominican
Delaney Childers, Dominican
Jessica Comisky, Georgian Court
Diana Sansevera, Georgian Court
Rachel Ruch, Georgian Court
Kyrie Timbrook, Caldwell
Dia Cascone, Caldwell
Jaime Lorenzo, Concordia
Alexa Rosella, Concordia
Jody Searfoss, Holy Family
Samantha Tu, USP
Katie Renner, Philadelphia
Emily Archer, Post
