Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CALDWELL, N.J. – The 14th-ranked Caldwell College softball team swept a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader from Philadelphia University on Saturday, winning both games by the score of 11-3 at Caldwell Field. The Cougars have now won 17 games in a row to improve to 17-1 overall and 7-0 in the conference, while the Rams fall to 15-5, 6-4 CACC.

In the first game, junior Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea Reg.) led off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch, and junior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) doubled home sophomore Caitlin McCready (Jupiter, FL/Dwyer) for a 2-0 in the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Knorr hit a two-run double and came home on a triple by Calderon for a 5-0 lead. The Rams scored three times in the top of the third inning, but the Cougars pushed the lead up to 9-3 with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Calderon had a two-run double, while freshmen Gracie Sullivan (Elmhurst, IL/York) and Lauren Frye (Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) hit RBI singles in the inning. Calderon drove in another run in the fifth, and junior Megan Fryday (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills) singled in sophomore Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Reg.) for the final run of the game.

Calderon went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs, while Knorr and Frye tallied two hits apiece.

Sophomore pitcher Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) went the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out three in five innings to improve to 6-1.

Knorr helped the Cougars get off to a great start in Game 2 as well, leading off with a triple and scoring on a grounder by Reighn in the bottom of the first. Kasia Smith led off the top of the second inning with a home run, and Nicole Troisi came home on a sacrifice bunt from Mollie Burrell to give the Rams a 2-1 advantage. Knorr took the lead back in the bottom of the second with a two-run triple before scoring on a wild pitch for a 4-2 Caldwell lead. Philadelphia scored a run in the top of the third, only to have the Cougars score three times in the bottom-half of the inning. Frye hit a sacrifice fly to score Fryday, and senior Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) scored on a bunt single from senior Jacklyn Bates (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo).

In the fourth, Calderon doubled home Reighn and later scored on an error. Frye also drove in a run as the Cougars led 10-3. After McCready drew a lead-off walk in the fifth, Reighn belted a double to plate McCready with the final run. Reighn and Fryday each had three hits, while Knorr went 2-for-3 with two triples and two RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out four and walking two in five innings. Ponto has yet to lose a decision as a collegian, improving to 7-0.

On Sunday, Apr. 6, the Cougars host Goldey-Beacom College in a single game at 11:00 a.m. before playing a CACC doubleheader with Post University at Caldwell Field.