BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Caldwell College softball team was swept by first-place Concordia College, 2-1 in 10 innings, and 4-2, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Clipper Field. The Cougars, who are ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II East Region rankings, drop to 23-19 overall and 13-9 in conference play. The Clippers, who won both games in their final at-bat, are now 20-9, 15-3 CACC.
The first game remained scoreless through seven innings, sending the game to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, junior Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) led off with a single, moved to second on a bunt by sophomore Amy Leal (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang) and scored on a single by sophomore Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) for a 1-0 Caldwell lead. Concordia answered in the bottom of the eighth with a lead-off home run by Maria DeMartino that tied the score at 1-1. The teams began using the international tie-break rule in the ninth inning, but neither team scored in the ninth. After the Cougars did not score in the 10th, Jaime Lorenzo hit a double to left that scored Dena Frederick from second with the game-winning run.
Senior Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) pitched all 9 1/3 innings for Caldwell, allowing two runs, one earned, on 12 hits while striking out three. Concordia's Rachel Cannata also went the distance, earning the win after giving up one run on six hits.
The Clippers opened the second game with two runs in the bottom of the first, including a solo home run by DeMartino. The score remained 2-0 until the top of the sixth, when the Cougars scored twice on an error to tie the score at 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh with two out and a runner on first, Alexa Rosella hit a walk-off, two-run home run to give Concordia a 4-2 victory and a sweep.
Margiotta, pictured, went 2-for-3 in Game 2 to finish the day with five hits. Sophomore Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony) gave up four runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings to absorb the loss. Theresa Magnani, who pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of starter Jillian Maselli, picked up the win.
The Cougars continue CACC play with a doubleheader at Felician College on Friday, Apr. 29. The first game starts at 2:00 p.m. at Matera Field in Lyndhurst, N.J.
