CLERMONT, Fla. – The Caldwell University softball team concluded its spring trip to Florida with a pair of losses to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, 6-1 and 7-6 on Thursday at the National Training Center. The Cougars drop to 3-8 on the season, while the Bulldogs improve to 16-7.

In the first game, Becky Smith hit a two-run home run in the top of the first for a 2-0 lead. Caldwell responded with a solo home run by junior Caitlin McCready (Jupiter, NJ/Dwyer) in the bottom of the first. The score remained 2-1 until the Bulldogs scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth for a 6-1 advantage. The Cougars managed one run on five hits off UMD pitcher Cayli Sadler, as Smith drove in four of the Bulldogs' six runs. Junior pitcher Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) went the distance for Caldwell and fell to 3-2 on the season.

The Cougars got off to a good start in Game 2, as senior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) hit a two-run single in the top of the first. After UMD scored a run in the second, a sacrifice fly from junior Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Reg.) plated senior Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) for a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the third to tie the score, but the Cougars regained the lead with a run in the top of the sixth. Again UMD answered, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 edge. Down to its last out in the top of the seventh, Caldwell pulled even on a double by Reighn that brought home Knorr and tied the score at 5-5. Reighn attempted to come home from second on a Calderon single but was thrown out at the plate.

After Caldwell retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, the international tie-breaker rule was used in the eighth. Calderon was placed on second and she came home on an error for a 6-5 Cougar lead. With runners on second and third and two out for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the eighth, Natalie Wright singled, scoring both runners for a 7-6 victory.

Calderon had three hits and two RBIs for Caldwell. Senior pitcher Sarah Almasy (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) pitched two innings of relief for starter Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford).

Caldwell begins its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a home doubleheader against Dominican College on Tuesday, Mar. 24. The first game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Caldwell Field.