GARDEN CITY, N.Y.- Caldwell University softball senior Lauren Stansell (Plantation, Fla.) singled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as part of a six-run come from behind victory as the #4 Cougars defeated #5 Saint Anselm College 7-6 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Championship East Region 1 contest.
 
The Cougars improve to 38-15 overall and advance in the winner's bracket, while the Hawks drop to 28-16 and fall into the elimination bracket tomorrow.
 
Down six runs entering their final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars started the inning with back-to-back walks to freshman Jessica Klein (Trevose, Pa.) and junior Taylor Mischler (Endicott, N.Y.). Senior Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) singled to load the bases with no outs. Freshman Allison Winters (Blairstown, N.J.) reached on an error that allowed two runs to score to close the gap to 7-4. Junior Courtney Grundhauser (Easton, Pa.) doubled in one run, while freshman Ashleigh Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) drew a walk to once again load the bases.
 
Senior Emma Cooney (Livingston, N.J.) recorded the lone out in the inning with a ground out but Winters scored to cut the score to 7-6. Graduate Paige Sandoval (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) tied the game with a single up the middle to score Grundhauser to even the score at 7-7. Stansell, the ninth batter of the inning, hit the ball to a diving shortstop for an infield single with Tavaska sliding in ahead of the tag at home for the game-winning run and a thrilling comeback for the Cougars.
 
Saint Anselm had taken the early lead with a run in the first inning but Caldwell answered in the second. Tavaska singled and Cooney drew a walk in the inning with two outs and moved into scoring position. Sandoval doubled in both runners for a 2-1 lead. The Hawks pulled ahead 7-2 with five runs over the final two innings to set up the Cougar rally in their final at-bat.
 
Sandoval paced the Cougar offense with a 2-for-3 game and three RBI, while Tavaska also went 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
 
Senior Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y.) tossed a complete game in the circle, allowing seven runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts to improve to 17-7 on the season. Culver recorded her 300th career strikeout in the victory.
 
The Cougars advance in the winner's bracket where they will face #8 seed Pace University on Friday, May 13 at 10 am. The winner advances to the East Region 1 championship round on Saturday, while the loser will face an elimination game on Friday afternoon.