CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University Softball Head Coach Dean Johnson earned his 700th career victory on Monday afternoon as the #21 Cougars swept a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Bloomfield College. The Cougars edged the Bears in the opener 1-0 and took the nightcap 8-0 in six innings.

The Cougars improve to 20-10 overall and 13-3 in the CACC, while the Bears drop to 14-17 and 8-10 in conference play. 

In the opener, senior pitcher Amber Padilla (Chino, CA) spinned a four-hit shutout to help the Cougars edge the Bears 1-0. Padilla (11-2) tossed a complete game and struck out three in the win.

Padilla only needed a first inning run to help Caldwell earn a game one victory as the Cougars loaded the bases with one out. Senior Caitlin McCready (Jupiter, FL) drew a one-out walk, while senior Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, NJ) singled. Sophomore Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, NJ) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior Megan Fryday (San Marcos, CA) drove in the lone run of the game with a sacrifice fly that stood up for the game one victory.

In the nightcap, junior pitcher Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, NJ) followed Padilla with another strong pitching performance as she tossed a three shutout to help the Cougars pick up the sweep. Ponto (8-7) moved over the .500 mark as she struck out six in the victory.

Caldwell piled up the runs in the final three innings to end the game after six innings. The Cougars loaded the bases in the fourth inning and scored a pair of runs on sacrifice flies by Fryday and sophomore Kiahna Silva (Etiwanda, CA).

The Cougars added a pair of runs in the fifth as Reighn drove in two runs with single. In the sixth, junior Amy Hickman (Jackson, NJ) had the big hit with a two-run single as part of the four-run inning to secure the victory and win #700 for Coach Johnson.

Coach Johnson, in his 22nd season at the helm of the Cougars, has built one of the preeminent Division II softball programs in the East Region. He has been named the CACC Coach of the Year eight times and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament for eight straight seasons. His teams have averaged 32 wins per season since he took over in the 1995 season and have won 30+ games for the past 14 seasons. He currently ranks in the top-20 among active winningest coaches in Division II in victories and winning percentage. His all-time ranking places him in the top-30 in all-time Division II wins and his .686 winning percentage is top-40 among the all-time coaches ranks.

The Cougars travel to Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday, April 13 for a CACC doubleheader at 2:30 pm.