NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Caldwell College softball team opened play at the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament with a loss to UMass-Lowell, 4-3 Friday afternoon at Yale University's DeWitt Family Field. The Cougars (37-15) will face Assumption College in an elimination game on Saturday.

The River Hawks (34-16) got off to a quick start with two runs on five hits in the top of the first inning. Caldwell answered in the bottom of the first, when sophomore Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) hit a two-out single to score freshman Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea). A run in the top of the second put UMass-Lowell on top, 3-1. Still trailing in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars had runners on first and second when freshman Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) blasted a two-run double to tie the score at 3-3.

In the top of the seventh, Ashley Daniels hit an infield single, moved to second on a bunt and scored on a single by Ariana Darcy for a 4-3 lead. Pitcher Elyssa Boris retired the Cougars in order in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up the victory.

Calderon and freshman Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) had two hits apiece, while Knorr scored twice. Junior pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) went the distance, giving up four runs on 10 hits in seven innings to fall to 16-7. Boris allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits to improve to 20-8.

Caldwell plays Assumption on Saturday, May 5 at 1:30 p.m. at DeWitt Family Field. UMass-Lowell faces top-seeded Southern Connecticut State at 11:00 a.m.

2012 NCAA Division II East Region Softball Tournament
Host: Southern Connecticut State University (held at Yale University, New Haven, Conn.)
Friday, May 4
Game 1: #1 Southern Connecticut St. 1, #8 Assumption 0
Game 2: #5 UMass-Lowell 4, #4 Caldwell 3

Saturday, May 5
Game 3: #1 Southern Connecticut St. (38-10) vs. #5 UMass-Lowell (34-16), 11:00 a.m.
Game 4: #8 Assumption (33-17) vs. #4 Caldwell (37-15), 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser, 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 6
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7: Repeat Game 6 if necessary, 2:30 p.m.

Host: C.W. Post, Brookville, N.Y.
Friday, May 4
Game 1: vs. #6 Dominican 4, #3 C.W. Post 2, 12 innings
Game 2: #2 Molloy 2, #7 Adelphi 0

Saturday, May 5
Game 3: #6 Dominican (38-15) vs. #2 Molloy (43-10), 11:00 a.m.
Game 4: #3 C.W. Post (37-21) vs. #7 Adelphi (34-19-1), 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser, 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 6
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 7: Repeat Game 6 if necessary, 3:30 pm