CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team won a pair of tight, one-run games against Pace University, 3-2 and 4-3 to sweep a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The Cougars, ranked 10th in the latest NCAA East Region rankings, came from behind to win both game and improve to 11-13 on the season. The Setters, who are ranked ninth in the region, drop to 12-10.
In the first game, Pace took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. In the bottom of the second, junior Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) singled home freshman Mariah Lucena (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) to make it a one-run game. Still in the second, Margiotta and sophomore Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) executed a double-steal that allowed Schymanski to score from third and tie the game at 2-2. The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fifth, when freshman Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) and junior Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) ran a similar play that resulted in Velardi scoring the go-ahead run. The Setters put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the seventh, but senior Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) induced a grounder and a lineout to end the game.
Pulido, pictured, pitched all seven innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on eight hits while fanning four and walking none to improve to 7-3. Pace's Kelly Fisher limited Caldwell to three hits while walking four and striking out two in six innings.
The second game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth. Sabrina Gonzalez hit a run-scoring triple and later came home on a single by Rachael McMahon for a 2-0 Pace lead. Michelle Ngwafon doubled home a run in the top of the sixth to put the Setters on top 3-0. In the bottom of the sixth, senior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) hit a two-out single to score sophomore Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) to make the score 3-1. With the Cougars down to their final at-bat, Schymanski reached on an error to start the seventh. Junior Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and sophomore Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony) followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases.
With sophomore Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills) pinch-hitting, an illegal pitch was called, advancing the runners and plating Schymanski to make it a one-run game. Parker then hit a sacrifice fly to right that brought home Velardi from third to tie the game at 3-3. Cascone ended the game with a walk-off single up the middle that brought home pinch-runner Rebecca Ashley (Bellingham, MA/Mt. St. Charles) from third for a 4-3 victory.
Cascone and Wilson paced the offense with two hits apiece. Wilson went the distance in the circle, allowing three runs on 10 hits in seven innings. Chelsea Shea pitched all 6 1/3 innings for the Setters and took the loss.
Caldwell hosts Nyack College on Friday, Apr. 8 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
