CALDWELL, N.J. - Junior pitcher
Amber Padilla (Chino, CA/Pomona Catholic) tossed a five-inning perfect game in a 10-0 victory in Game 1 of a sweep of Nyack College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The Cougars, who won Game 2, 12-3 in five innings, improve to 9-9 overall and 3-1 in league play, while the Warriors drop to 3-12, 1-3 CACC.
Padilla faced 15 batters without allowing a hit, walk or error while striking out 10 in the first game. The performance marked the first perfect game as a Cougar for Padilla, who threw a perfect game in the state championship game as a senior at Pomona Catholic High School. The Caldwell bats did the rest, scoring 10 runs on 12 hits in four innings. Senior
Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) and freshman
Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Twp.) both homered, with Monasseri's three-run shot in the fourth inning putting the Cougars ahead, 10-0. Calderon and senior
Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) each went 3-for-3 at the plate, with sophomore
Amy Hickman (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) recording two hits.
In the second game, Nyack wasted little time generating offense, getting a two-run home run from Meghan Richards in the top of the first. Caldwell responded with six runs in the bottom of the first, including two-run singles from Knorr and sophomore
Gracie Sullivan (Elmhurst, IL/York). After the Warriors added a run in the third, the Cougars scored three times in the fourth. Monasseri, Sullivan and junior
Katelyn Biasi (Blackwood, NJ/Sterling) each drove in runs. In the fifth, Sullivan ended the game with a bases-loaded triple for a 12-3 victory. Sullivan tallied six RBIs, while Calderon had three hits.
Senior pitcher
Sarah Almasy (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) gave up three runs on seven hits while striking out five in five innings for the win.
Caldwell plays a non-conference doubleheader at LIU Post on Tuesday, Apr. 7 in a rematch of last year's East Region championship. The first game starts at 3:00 p.m. in Brookville, N.Y.