GARDEN CITY, N.Y.- The Caldwell University softball team's remarkable 2022 season came to a close on Saturday as they fell twice to top seed Adelphi University in the NCAA Division II Championship East Region 1 Championship round. Adelphi took the opening game 2-0 to force a deciding game where they rallied in their final at-bat to win 4-3.
 
The Cougars end their season at 39-17, while the Panthers improve to 45-12 and advance to the East Super Regionals.
 
In the opening game, Caldwell collected seven hits and had runners on base in six innings but failed to cross the plate. The Cougars got two runners on base in the seventh as senior Chloe VanGorder (Harveys Lake, Pa.) and senior Lauren Stansell (Plantation, Fla.) singled to start the inning but fell short in a 2-0 setback.
 
The Panthers got a run in the first and added a run in the fourth inning against starter senior Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y.). Culver took the loss, tossing a complete game, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and strucking out three.
 
Adelphi's win in the opening game forced a deciding winner take-all game for the East Region 1 crown.
 
Caldwell jumped out to an early lead in the deciding game as Stansell, freshman Jessica Klein (Trevose, Pa.) and junior Taylor Mischler (Endicott, N.Y.) singled with one out in the fourth to load the bases. Senior Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) reached on a fielder's choice but Stansell scored the first run of the game on an error by the catcher.
 
The Cougars added two runs in the sixth as freshman Ashleigh Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) and senior Emma Cooney (Livingston, N.J.) singled to lead off the inning. The runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, while VanGorder followed with a run scoring single to score Tavaska. Stansell singled up the middle to score Cooney for a 3-0 lead.
 
Adelphi rallied back with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win and advance to the East Super Regionals next week.
 
Senior Kayla Daly (Babylon, N.Y.) got the start, going six-plus innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out one. Culver came on in relief, recording one out in the seventh, yielding two runs (one earned) on four hits, taking the loss.
 
Stansell went 2-for-3 in her final game for the Cougars and went 1-for-3 in the earlier game with a stolen base.