CC 5, LC 1
CC 2, LC 1
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team used solid pitching to sweep Le Moyne College, 5-1 and 2-1 in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon in the home opener at Caldwell Field. The results give the Cougars a 9-2 record on the season, while the Dolphins fall to 4-12.

In the first game, junior pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) held Le Moyne to one run on eight hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 4-1. Freshman Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) hit a two-run blast over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the first to give Wilson all the run support she would need. Junior Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) singled home a run in the sixth, and the Cougars scored twice on wild pitches. Senior Marisa Tamez (Fountain Hills, CA/Fountain Hills) had two hits in the win, including a double.

In the second game, Le Moyne scored an unearned run in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. Caldwell responded in the bottom of the first, when Gaspich doubled home Cascone to tie the score at 1-1. The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth inning. Tamez led off the inning with a single before giving way to pinch runner Amy Leal (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang). Leal moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by sophomore Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), then advanced to third on a grounder by freshman Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda). With two out, Leal came home with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch for a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Dolphins put runners on second and third with two out, but freshman pitcher Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) induced a lineout to Cascone at second base to end the game. Walkinshaw improved to 3-0 after limiting Le Moyne to an unearned run on six hits in seven innings.

The Cougars play another non-league doubleheader on Sunday, March 18 at Southern Connecticut State. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. in West Haven, Conn.