LAKEWOOD, N.J.- The Caldwell University softball split a pair of games on day one of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championships on Thursday. The Cougars edged #6 Chestnut Hill College 3-2 in their opener and fell to #2 Wilmington University 9-2.
The Cougars move to 32-22, while the Griffins fall to 18-23 and the Wildcats improve to 36-12.
Chestnut Hill took the early lead with a run in the second inning. Caldwell rallied back in the fifth as freshman
Sara Raubertas (Berlin, N.J.) led off with a single. She moved to second on a fly out and scored on a fielder's choice by freshman
Lauren Stansell (Plantation, Fla.) to tie the game. Junior
Daniela Solis (Wilmington, Del.) and freshman
Nora Conway (Chicago, Ill.) followed with singles to put Caldwell in the lead at 2-1.
The Griffins answered in the sixth with a run to even the score at two. Caldwell rallied in their half of the inning as Raubertas was hit by a pitch with two outs. Sophomore
Anyssia Ramirez (Brentwood, Calif.) followed with a single, while Raubertas scored later in the inning on an error.
Freshman
Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y.) earned the win in relief as she tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
In their second game of the day against Wilmington, the Wildcats got a pair of runs in the opening inning to take the early lead. Caldwell got on the board in the third as Raubertas drew a lead-off walk. She moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on a single by sophomore
Paige Sandoval (Aliso Viejo, Calif.).
Wilmington added two runs in the third to push ahead 4-1. Caldwell tacked on a run in the fifth as Raubertas walked with one out. Solis and Conway followed with singles to load the bases. Sandoval hit a sacrifice fly to score Raubertas.
The Wildcats added five runs in their final two at-bats to extend their lead.
Culver took the loss as she tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on 11 hits with two strikeouts.
The Cougars face #8 Jefferson in an elimination game on Friday, May 3 at 11 am on the campus of Georgian Court University.
