LAKEWOOD, N.J.- The top seed Caldwell University softball team defeated #8 Jefferson 5-0 in their first game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship. The Cougars advanced in the winner's bracket where they rallied from an early deficit to down #5 Post University 6-5 in eight innings.
Caldwell remains in the winner's bracket and will face #3 Georgian Court University, who also posted two wins on the opening day.
The Cougars improve to 32-16 on the season
#1 Cougars vs #8 Jefferson (Opening Game) 10:00 AM
Caldwell got on the board in the opening inning as senior
Kiahna Silva (Etiwanda, Calif.) and sophomore
Melissa Rini (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) singled to start the inning. The runners moved up on a ground out, while Silva scored on a Jefferson error. Rini added to the Cougar lead in the fifth as she connected on a solo homerun.
The Cougars loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning. Senior
Katelyn Johnson (Denville, N.J.) drew a walk, while sophomore
Daniela Solis (Wilmington, Del.) doubled to put runners in scoring position. Silva walked to load the bases. Rini was hit by a pitch to force in a run, while senior
Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, N.J.) walked to push the lead to 4-0. Freshman
Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly to push the score to 5-0.
Sophomore
Sara Bearden (Ewing, N.J.) struck out five as she tossed a five-hit shutout to improve to 17-7 on the season.
#1 Cougars vs #5 Post (Winner's Bracket) 4:00 PM
Post took the early lead in the game with a run in the opening inning. The Cougars rallied with three runs in their half of the first as they loaded the bases. Rini singled, while Monasseri drew a walk and Rodriguez reached on a fielder's choice.
Sophomore
Christina Misiur (Sayreville, N.J.) singled down the left field line to tie the score at one. Freshman
Paige Sandoval (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) rapped a two-out double to left to put the Cougars in front 3-1.
The Eagles tied the score with two runs in the second and added two in the third to pull ahead 5-3. Caldwell battled back in the fourth as Johnson reached base on an error. Sophomore
Kelle Lalier (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) blasted a game-tying two-run homerun to even the score at five.
Both teams had scoring chances over the next three innings but the game remained tied and headed for extra innings.
The Cougars rallied in the eighth as Monasseri singled up the middle to start the inning. Pinch runner
Abbigail Cleckner (Sykesville, Md.) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Misiur reached on an infield single, while Sandoval drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Johnson battled through a tough at-bat and worked out a walk to force in Cleckner with the winning run.
Bearden started, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Sophomore
Jessie Johnston (Livermore, Calif.) earned the win in relief, as she tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits to improve to 15-9 on the season.
The top seeded Cougars remain in the winner's bracket of CACC Championship as they will face #3 Georgian Court on Friday, May 4 at 1 pm. The 2018 CACC Softball Championship will be held on the campus of Georgian Court in Lakewood, NJ.
