Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
BRIARCLIFF, N.Y. – The Caldwell College softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Pace University, winning the first game, 6-5 and losing Game 2, 13-4 in six innings Wednesday afternoon at Pace Field. The results give the Cougars a 21-3 record on the season, while the Setters are 9-17.

In the first game, Pace's Nikole Larm hit a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning to put the Setters on top, 4-0. Caldwell didn't score until the top of the fourth, when junior Megan Fryday (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills) scored on a bases-loaded grounder by freshman Gracie Sullivan (Elmhurst, IL/York). Pace added to its lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, then senior Nicole Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) singled home junior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) in the top of the fifth.

With the Cougars trailing 5-2 in the top of the seventh, sophomore Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Regional) led off with a home run, her third of the season. A groundout by freshman Amy Hickman (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) allowed Fryday to score from third, making the score 5-4 with two out. With Velardi on second, Sullivan singled to tie the score and advanced to second on the throw. Freshman Lauren Frye (Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) followed with a double to bring home Sullivan with the go-ahead run.

Junior pitcher Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos, CA/Aptos) allowed a single in the seventh but struck out the final two batters of the game to close out the win. Walkinshaw pitched three innings of relief, allowing three hits and no runs to improve to 6-0. Velardi had three hits, while Fryday and Reighn had two hits apiece.

Pace took the early lead in the second game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Calderon tied the score in the second with her third home run of the season. But Pace pulled away by scoring four runs apiece in the second and third innings for a commanding 9-2 lead. Jeane Drury, Hana Wright and Lana Buchbinder homered in the two innings, while junior Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) homered in the third for Caldwell. The Cougars scored twice in the top of the fourth, but the Setters added a run in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the sixth to end the game.

Calderon went 3-for-3, while Velardi went 2-for-3 with a double and a run. Freshman Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) suffered her first defeat as a collegian, falling to 8-1 on the season.

The Cougars play another non-league twinbill on Thursday, Apr. 10 at the University of New Haven, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in West Haven, Conn.