Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Caldwell College softball team, ranked 18th nationally, started the 2014 season by splitting a pair of games at the Rebel Spring Games, held at DiamondPlex Friday morning. The Cougars fell to No. 8 Wayne State, 5-0, before beating Ohio Dominican University, 9-0 in five innings.

Against Wayne State, Caldwell managed just three hits off Warriors pitcher Briana Lee, who fanned 10 batters en route to the shutout. Lee also homered and had two hits and two runs batted in for Wayne State (18-3). Senior Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), junior Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) and sophomore Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Regional) had the hits for the Cougars. Sophomore pitcher Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) allowed five runs, two earned, on four hits in 5 1/3 innings, while junior Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The Cougar bats woke up in the second game against Ohio Dominican (4-16), pounding out 11 hits to produce nine runs in four innings. Knorr led off the game with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. Caldwell then scored four runs apiece in the second and third innings to lead 9-0. Junior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) hit a two-run double in the second, while freshman Amy Hickman (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) delivered a two-run single in the third. Sophomore Caitlin McCready (Jupiter, FL/Dwyer) had two hits and two RBI, while Knorr went 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) turned in a strong collegiate debut, blanking the Panthers on two hits while striking out two in four innings of work. Senior Lindsay Truan (San Jose, CA/Leland) tossed a scoreless inning to close out the win.

The Cougars continue play at the Rebel Spring Games Saturday, Mar. 15 with games against Ohio Dominican and Lees-McRae College.