NEW CASTLE, Del. -- This Caldwell University softball team has made walk-offs their specialty, and the CACC Championship Tournament has been no different. The Cougars made it two final-at-bat victories in two days on Friday when sophomore catcher
Arlette Batista (Carteret, N.J.) laced a single to left, plating freshman DP
Maddie Long (Folcroft, Pa.) with the game-winning tally in the bottom of the seventh, capping a three-run, two-out rally as the top-seeded Cougars topped No. 2 Felician, 8-7, in a thrilling Elimination Bracket game at Asbury Field.
Earlier in the day, Caldwell fell to No. 3 Bridgeport in the Winner's Bracket. The results set up Championship Saturday. Caldwell (29-18) will need to defeat No. 3 Bridgeport twice to claim the title.
In Friday's win over the Golden Falcons, Caldwell trailed, 4-1, entering the fifth. A two-run single by sophomore 2B
Emily Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) cut the deficit to 4-3, before freshman 1B
Emerson Jarrard (Carlsbad, Calif.) laced a double just inside the left field line to give CU its first lead of the game, 5-4, after five.
The Golden Falcons (26-24) battled back again, tying the game on a double in the sixth and taking a two-run edge into the bottom of the seventh on a two-run triple.
With two outs and a runner on first, sophomore SS
Maddie Matkosky (Horseheads, N.Y.) drew a walk to put the tying runs on base. Long singled on a diving stop by the Felician third baseman, whose throw to first skipped down the right field line, scoring both Matkosky and Jarrard, who had singled to lead off the frame. Batista then turned on an 0-1 pitch, touching off a Cougar celebration.
Sophomore RHP
CC Lanzi (Cumberland, R.I.) was an unsung hero for Caldwell, coming in to pitch with one out in the first inning and going 4 2/3 innings in relief, keepnig Caldwell in it until the fifth and seventh inning heroics pushed the Cougars into Championship Day.
Jarrard, Long, Batista and junior CF
Kenzie Nazionale (Ontario, Calif.) had two hits each in the win.
The Cougars seek their first CACC Tournament title since 2018.
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