WILMINGTON, Del. - The Caldwell College softball team opened its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a doubleheader split with Goldey-Beacom College Saturday afternoon at Churchman Field. The Cougars, who won the first game 4-3 before losing 3-2 in the second game, are now 5-11 overall and 1-1 in the conference. The Lightning are now 8-4, 1-1 CACC.

Caldwell struck first in Game 1, when sophomore Cassandra Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) singled home freshman Mariah Lucena (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) in the top of the second for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, the Lightning scored two runs on a bases-loaded error to lead 2-1. Senior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford), pictured, tied the score in the top of the third when her single plated junior Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.). Then in the fourth, Cailin Cavanaugh tripled, then scored on a single by Roni Peters to take a 3-2 lead. The Cougars responded in the top of the fifth, as sophomore Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) doubled home Ryan and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a Garofolo sacrifice fly.

Senior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) shut down the LIghtning the rest of the way, allowing no runs on two hits over the final three innings to improve to 4-2 on the season. Pulido pitched all seven innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on seven hits while walking four and striking out three. Ryan and junior Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) each had two hits for Caldwell. Leanne Miller went the distance for Goldey-Beacom and took the loss.

In the second game, the Cougars scored runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman Jacklyn Bates (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo) drove home junior Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) with a grounder in the second, while Margiotta and Ryan executed a double-steal that resulted in Margiotta coming home for a 2-0 advantage. Heading into the sixth, sophomore Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony) had blanked the Lightning on two hits and a walk. But the hosts loaded the bases in the sixth, with Cavanaugh drawing a walk and Michelle Foster hitting a two-run single to put Goldey-Beacom ahead, 3-2. The Cougars were unable to score in the seventh to suffer their first CACC loss of the season.

Heather Draper held Caldwell to two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks in seven innings to improve to 3-0.

The Cougars host Dominican College on Tuesday, Mar. 29 in another CACC doubleheader. The first game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Caldwell Field.