Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team won a pair of games against American International College on Sunday to open its home schedule at Caldwell Field. The Cougars, who won 5-1 and 14-2, improve to 7-4, while the Yellow Jackets drop to 2-6.

A two run single by sophomore Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) in the bottom of the first inning gave Caldwell a 2-0 lead in the first game. After Steph Belanger homered for AIC in the top of the fourth, sophomore Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to put the Cougars ahead, 4-1. Then in the fifth, Calderon blasted a solo home run to make the score 5-1.

Senior pitcher Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) held the Yellow Jackets to just three hits while striking out three in a complete-game victory. Calderon went 3-for-3 at the plate, and junior Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) had two hits.

In the second game, AIC jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) got the Caldwell offense going with a two-run homer in the second, sparking a four-run inning. She then led off the third inning with a solo shot down the left field line for the first of seven runs in the third. Velardi and sophomore Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) hit run-scoring singles in the inning, with Calderon and Cascone delivering two-run doubles. The Cougars added three more runs in the fourth, including RBI singles by Knorr and Calderon.

Cascone ended up going 4-for-4 with two runs and five RBI, while Calderon drove in three runs with two hits. Freshman Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Reg.) also had two hits. Sophomore pitcher Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits in four innings to earn the win.

The Cougars return to action on Tuesday, Mar. 19 with a non-conference doubleheader against Southern Connecticut State. The first game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Caldwell Field.