LAKEWOOD, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team won a pair of elimination games at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament on Friday, defeating Post University, 5-4 before topping Wilmington University, 7-2 at the Georgian Court Softball Complex. The victories send the Cougars (30-22) into the final day of the tourney. Senior pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) earned the win against Post to tie the school record for career victories with 74.
In the day's first game, Post struck first with a run in the top of the second for a 2-0 lead. Caldwell tied the game in the bottom of the second, when freshman Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) scored from third on a wild pitch. Senior Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) led off the bottom of the third inning with a double, moved to second on a bunt by junior Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) and scored on a grounder from sophomore Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) for a 2-1 lead. After Post regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth, Velardi led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3.
Then in the fifth, junior Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) singled home Margiotta and later scored on a single by sophomore Kelly Schymanski (Pottstown, PA/Owen Roberts) to put the Cougars ahead 5-3. The Eagles made it a 5-4 game when Christina Udris led off the top of the sixth with a home run. In the top of the seventh, Post loaded the bases with two out, but Pulido induced a groundout to third to close out the win.
Pulido (right), who gave up three runs, four earned, on nine hits in seven innings, improved to 18-7 on the season and 74-30 for her career. She ties former Caldwell All-American Corinne Reiser for the school record for career victories. Reiser went 74-25 for the Cougars from 2001-2004.
The Cougars took control of the game with Wilmington with six runs in the first two innings. Schymanski and sophomore Cassandra Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) each had RBI singles in the first inning. In the second inning, Cascone executed a squeeze bunt to plate freshman Mariah Lucena (Belleville, NJ/Belleville). Margiotta came home from third on an error for the inning's second run. Then with Cascone on third, Ryan bunted to squeeze home Cascone, and came all the way around to score when a throw to second base went into centerfield.
Caldwell made it 7-0 in the fourth when Ryan singled to score Margiotta. Wilmington scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a lead-off home run by Lauren Szymanski, but would get no closer as the Cougars survived to play on the final day of the tournament.
Sophomore Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony) pitched a strong game, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out three and walking none in a complete-game effort. Ryan, Schymanski and Margiotta each had two hits in the game, with Ryan (left) tallying four hits on the day.
Caldwell will face host Georgian Court in another elimination game on Saturday, May 7, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The winner will play Dominican College in the finals at 1:00 p.m.
2011 CACC Softball Tournament, hosted by Georgian Court - May 5-7, Lakewood, N.J.
Thursday, May 5
Game 1: #1 Georgian Court 8, #8 Felician 3
Game 2: #7 Bloomfield 8, #2 Concordia 5
Game 3: #3 Dominican 4, #6 Post 0
Game 4: #5 Caldwell 2, #4 Wilmington 0
Game 5: #4 Wilmington 7, #8 Felician 5
Game 6: #6 Post 6, #2 Concordia 1
Game 7: #1 Georgian Court 4, #5 Caldwell 3
Game 8: #3 Dominican 6, #7 Bloomfield 3
Friday, May 6
Game 9: #4 Wilmington 1, #7 Bloomfield 0
Game 10: #5 Caldwell 5, #6 Post 4
Game 11: #3 Dominican 6, #1 Georgian Court 2
Game 12: #5 Caldwell 7, #4 Wilmington 2
Saturday, May 7
Game 13: #5 Caldwell vs. #1 Georgian Court, 11 a.m.
Game 14: #3 Dominican vs. Game 13 winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 15: Repeat Game 14 if necessary, 3:00 p.m.
