CALDWELL, N.J. -- Junior CF
Kenzie Nazionale (Ontario, Calif.) had five hits and stole four bases and sophomore DP
Arlette Batista (Carteret, N.J.) had four hits and drove in four runs as top-seeded Caldwell University swept a CACC Softball Tournament First Round doubleheader from No. 8 Post at Caldwell Athletic Field on Saturday afternoon. Both games, won by CU by scores of 10-2 and 9-0, were shortened by the run rule.
The Cougars (27-17) advance to the four-team double-elimination Championship bracket beginning Thursday at 11 a.m. vs. either No. 4 Holy Family or No. 5 Wilmington, in New Castle, Del.
On Saturday, the Eagles (10-33) got on the board first, a pair of two-out run-scoring hits putting the visitors ahead, 2-0, in the top of the first. Caldwell answered in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher
Emily Kurth (Toms River) and run-scoring single to right by Batista.
Sophomore righthander
Haleigh Fisher (Smyrna, N.Y.) put up zeros the rest of the way, and the Cougars offense came through when Nazionale singled in the go-ahead run in the fourth before CU broke it open with a six-spot in the fifth, with RBI by Batista and Nazionale supplemented by three Eagles errors.
Batista's third RBI hit of the day, a line single up the middle off the outstretched glove of the Post second baseman, provided the stomp-off in the bottom of the sixth.
Fisher scattered seven hits, striking out five and allowing one earned run to improve her record to 11-3 and lower her season ERA to a league-best 2.46.
The Cougars jumped out early in game two, plating a pair of runs each in the first and second innings on two-run singles by Kurth and sophomore SS
Maddie Matkosky (Horseheads, N.Y.). Caldwell then put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth, an RBI single by Batista followed by a bases-loaded, two-run single by sophomore pinch hitter
Amanda Preston (Warwick, R.I.) that plated an additional run on an outfield error. Freshman
Maddie Long (Folcroft, Pa.) delivered another pinch hit, bringing in Preston for the final margin.
Junior righty
Katie O'Connor (Charlottesville, Va.) did the rest, spinning a fancy three-hitter, whiffing six for her 13th victory of the season, tied for third most in the CACC.
Fans can follow the action from New Castle at CACCNetwork.com or live stats via the link on the schedule page.
