KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Caldwell College softball team kicked off the 2011 season with a pair of losses at the Rebel Spring Games Saturday afternoon at the Fortune Road Complex. The Cougars fell to Wheeling Jesuit University, 2-1 in the first game before losing to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 4-0.

Against Wheeling Jesuit, the Cougars scored the first run of the game after putting runners on first and third in the bottom of the second. Juniors Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) executed a double-steal that allowed Tamez to score from third for a 1-0 lead. Wheeling Jesuit answered with two runs in the top of the third without recording a hit, taking advantage of two errors and a passed ball to lead 2-1. Caldwell had runners in scoring position in four of the final five innings but could not get the key hit.

Sophomore pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony) went the distance for Caldwell, allowing two unearned runs and two hits while striking out three. Brittany Hinz earned the win for Wheeling, giving up five hits while fanning eight and walking three.

In the day's second game, a three-run second inning was all Indiana needed to cruise to a 4-0 victory, as Erin Holloway surrendered two hits and struck out seven batters in a complete-game win. Sophomores Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) and Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) had the hits for Caldwell. Senior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) took the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits in four innings of work.

The Cougars return to action on Sunday, Mar. 13, with games against Tiffin University and Adelphi University at the Osceola County Sports Complex.