Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Caldwell College softball team started the 2013 season with a pair of victories at the Rebel Spring Games Friday afternoon at Oren Brown Field. The Cougars defeated Walsh University, 4-0 before beating Saginaw Valley State, 6-1 to open the 2013 season with a 2-0 record.

Against Walsh, senior Dia Cascone (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) led off the first game of the season with a home run, one of three Cougars to go deep in the win. Sophomore Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) also homered in the first inning, and sophomore Briana Gaspich (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) hit her first home run of the year in the third inning. Caldwell's fourth run came in the sixth inning, when junior Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate junior Jacklyn Bates (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo).

Senior Kourtney Wilson (Islip, NY/St. Anthony's) and sophomore Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) combined for the shutout, with Wilson allowing four hits while fanning five in five innings, and Walkinshaw giving up two hits and striking out three in two innings. Freshman Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Reg.) went 2-for-3 with a double in her first collegiate game.

Cougar pitching was almost as stingy in the day's second game. Freshman Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) blanked Saginaw Valley on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings of work. Walkinshaw gave up an unearned run on two hits in two innings. Caldwell pounded out 13 hits, including three apiece from Cascone and Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea). Calderon had a double and an RBI single, while senior Amy Leal (N. Bedford, MA/Bishop Stang) added a double and a single.

The Cougars continue play at the Rebel Spring Games on Saturday, Mar. 9, facing Minnesota State-Mankato at 2:00 p.m. and Northwood (MI) at 4:00 p.m. at the Osceola County Softball Complex.