CALDWELL, N.J.- The Caldwell University softball team closed out the regular season as the Cougars split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference twin bill against Felician University. The Cougars took the opener 7-4, while the Golden Falcons won the nightcap 14-12 in eight innings.
The Cougars move to 34-13 overall and finished 19-5 in the CACC, while the Golden Falcons end their season at 15-24 and 10-14 in conference play.
In the opener, Felician scored a run in the opening inning to take the early lead. Caldwell rallied back in the second as freshman
Kaylin Brozaitis (Rancho Murieta, Calif.) singled in the tying run. Junior
Taylor Mischler (Endicott, N.Y.) doubled in two runs later in the inning for a 3-1 lead.
The Golden Falcons got a run back in the third but freshman
Ashleigh Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) connected on a two-run homerun in their half of the inning. Felician added a run in the fifth to close the gap to 5-3.
Caldwell tacked in a couple of insurance runs in the sixth as senior
Chloe VanGorder (Harveys Lake, Pa.) blasted a solo homerun, while Mischler doubled in a run.
Senior
Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y.) earned the win as she tossed a complete game, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Felician took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Caldwell pulled even in their half of the inning as Brozaitis doubled in two runs, while scoring the tying run on an error.
Caldwell scored six runs in the fourth inning as senior
Lauren Stansell (Plantation, Fla.) singled in one run, while junior
Courtney Grundhauser (Easton, Pa.) doubled in two runs. Senior
Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and freshman
Allison Winters (Blairstown, N.J.) drove in runs with singles, while Tavaska doubled in a run for a 9-3 lead.
Felician got two runs back in the fifth, while VanGorder hit a solo homerun in Caldwell's half of the fifth. Mischler added a run scoring single in the inning for an 11-5 lead.
The Golden Falcons scored seven runs in the sixth to pull ahead 12-11. Caldwell tied the game in the sixth on an error to force extra innings.
Felician scored two runs in the eighth and held the Cougars off the board in the bottom of the inning to earn the split.
The third seeded Cougars face #6 seed Dominican College in the opening round of the CACC Championship on Thursday, May 5 at noon. The CACC Softball Championship will be held on the campus of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, N.J.
