CC 3, WU 1
WU 4, CC 3
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Wilmington University Monday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The Cougars, who won the first game 3-1 before losing Game 2, 4-3, are now 33-10 overall and 19-3 in the conference. The Wildcats are now 22-21, 14-7 CACC.
Caldwell trailed 1-0 in Game 1 until the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Megan Fryday (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills), and scored on a single from senior Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) to tie the game at 1-1. Still in the fifth, senior Katie Margiotta (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) hit a two-out single to plate sophomore Jessica Miller (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.) for a 2-1 lead. Freshman Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea Reg.) made it 3-1 with a lead-off home run in the sixth, her seventh homer of the season. Knorr tied the school record for most home runs by a freshman, held by teammate Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) and former standout Anna Dahl.
Junior pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) improved to 15-4 by holding the Wildcats to one run on seven hits while striking out three in seven innings. Velardi and Margiotta each had two hits.
The Cougars took an early 1-0 lead in the second game, with Knorr coming home from third on a bunt by freshman Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) in the bottom of the first inning. Wilmington scored twice in the top of the fourth on a RBI double by Jillian Stafford and an error to lead 2-1. Christin Headley made it 3-1 with a solo home run in the fifth, then scored a run on an error in the sixth for a 4-1 advantage.
With two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Margiotta tripled and came home on a single by junior Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner). Knorr followed with a ground-rule double that held Cascone at third, but an infield single by Gaspich plated Cascone to make the score 4-3. The rally ended there, as Wilmington pitcher Katie Warrington induced a fly ball to center to end the game.
Gaspich and Margiotta had two hits apiece for Caldwell. Freshman Sarah Almasy (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) gave up four runs, two earned, on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Cougars host C.W. Post for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, Apr. 18, beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
