USCI 2, CC 1
CC 5, USCI 3
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Caldwell College softball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with the University of the Sciences Tuesday afternoon at McNeil Field. The Cougars, who lost the first game, 2-1 before coming back to win Game 2, 5-3, are now 22-7 overall and 11-1 in league play. The Devils are now 9-13, 7-7 CACC.
USciences scored a run in the first inning and another in the third to take a 2-0 lead in Game 1. Freshman Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) gave Caldwell its first run of the game with a single in the top of the sixth inning that plated freshman Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea). With runners on second and third in the sixth, the Cougars attempted to score on a grounder to second base. But Devon DeBellis threw out the runner to protect the one-run lead.
Courtney Spina limited Caldwell to one run on five hits in a complete-game effort for the Devils. Junior pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) allowed two unearned runs on eight hits in six innings to drop to 10-3 on the year. Freshman Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) went 2-for-2 at the plate for Caldwell.
In the second game, USciences struck first again, scoring twice in the fourth inning to lead 2-0. Junior Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) and Knorr hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth, and junior Amy Leal (New Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang) singled home sophomore Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. The Devils answered in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on an error to lead 3-2.
In the top of the seventh, Caldwell put runners on second and third with one out. After a grounder left the Cougars down to their final out, Velardi stepped up and hit a two-run single down the left-field line that scored Knorr and sophomore Jessica Miller (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.) for a 4-3 lead. After Velardi moved to second on a single by freshman Megan Fryday (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills), junior Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills) drove in Velardi with a single to make the score 5-3 Caldwell.
Freshman pitcher Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) gave up a single in the bottom of the seventh but retired the other three batters faced to wrap up the win. Walkinshaw pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits while striking out seven to improve to 5-3. Gaspich and Knorr had three hits apiece, while Velardi and Leal each delivered two hits.
The Cougars host Molloy College on Wednesday, Apr. 4 in a non-conference doubleheader. The first game starts at 3:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.
