BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Freshman Kortney Craker (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills) hit a grand slam in the seventh inning as the Caldwell University softball team beat Bloomfield College, 8-6 in Game 1 of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Clark's Pond South. The second game was suspended due to darkness after the sixth inning with the score tied at 2-2.

Caldwell struck first, as Kraker blasted a three-run home run in the third inning. A single by junior Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ/Triton Reg.) plated junior Caitlin McCready (Jupiter, FL/Dwyer) in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. Bloomfield came back in a big way, scoring six runs on seven hits in the fifth inning to take a two-run edge. Angela Hauser hit a three-run double in the inning. Down to their last at-bat, Caldwell loaded the bases with one out in the seventh for Craker, who cleared the bases with a home run to left centerfield. Her second homer of the game put the Cougars ahead, 8-6, and senior pitcher Sarah Almasy (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) shut down the Bears in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Craker went 4-for-4 with a stolen base and seven RBIs in her best game as a Cougar. Senior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) and sophomore Amy Hickman (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) added two hits apiece. Almasy pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of junior Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) to earn the victory.

In the second game, Hauser put Bloomfield ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning. In the top of the fifth, Reighn singled home senior Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) and Hickman drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Reighn for a 2-1 lead. But Lauren Bueno hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score at 2-2. The game, which was called before the seventh inning, will be completed at a yet-to-be-determined date.

The Cougars host Dominican College on Thursday, Apr. 16 in a CACC doubleheader. The first game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Caldwell Field.