FLUSHING, N.Y. -- Sophomore DP Emily Kurth (Tons River, N.J.) sure did pick a good time to hit the Cougars' first home run of the year. Her two-out, two-run blast broke a 6-6 tie, capping a five-run seventh inning rally and propelling CU to an 8-6 victory in game two of its non-league doubleheader vs. Queens at CC Softball Field on Thursday afternoon.

Junior righty Katie O'Connor's (Charlottesville, Va.) complete game and two hits each by Kurtz and junior center fielder Kenzie Nazionale (Ontario, Calif.) gave Caldwell a 9-1 win in the opener.

Trailing, 6-3, entering the ninth of the nightcap, Caldwell (3-11) began its rally in earnest when sophomore SS Emily Tavaska (Jackson, N.J) singled to make it 6-4, freshman LF Melissa Lugo drove in a run and moved the tying run to third with a groundout, and a Queens error on Nazionale's fielder's choice grounder tied it. One out later, Kurth's shot over the left field wall brought in Nazionale for the 8-6 lead. 

Queens threatened in the bottom of the seventh off winning pitcher, graduate Jayden Hill (Geneva, N.Y.), loading the bases with two outs. Starting pitcher, soph CC Lanzi (Cumberland, R.I.) re-entered, inducing a game-ending groundout to second to earn the save.

A late-game burst broke open a close game one, as the Cougars, leading 2-1, exploded for seven runs over the final two innings, the key blows a bases-clearing three run double by freshman RF Kendall Mazur (Millville, N.J.), run-scoring hit by Kurth and bases-loaded walks by sophomore SS Sam DiDonna (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Kurth.

O'Connor worked around 12 Knights (3-9) hits, 11 of them singles, stranding 13 runners with clutch pitching and allowing just one run in the route-going effort.

The Cougars' scheduled doubleheader vs. Jefferson on Saturday has been postponed due to field conditions, so Caldwell's next scheduled game is vs. Pace on Tuesday at 2:30 at Caldwell Athletic Field.