COUGARS SOFTBALL

Game 1: Goldey-Beacom 2, Post 1 (9 innings) – The fifth-seeded Lightning scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to open the tournament with an extra-inning win over No. 4 Post. Holly Kimble (Millsboro, DE) reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Jill Murphy (Wilmington, DE) and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. The Eagles had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Tracy Johnson (Londonderry, NH) was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single by Jennifer Giarrantano (Seymour, CT) for the final out of the game. Murphy went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lightning

Game 2: Felician 5, Wilmington 4 –Heather Van Dyke’s (West Milford, NJ) two-out two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth helped the third-seeded Golden Falcons come back to beat No. 6 Wilmington. Felician took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, only to have the Wildcats score four times in the top of the third. Meredith Rainer (Wantage, NJ) led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, then advanced to second when Nicole Maltais (Belford, NJ) reached on an error. Christina Rey (Dingmans Ferry, PA) bunted the runners to second and third, setting up Van Dyke’s heroics. Van Dyke finished with three RBI for Felician, while Wilmington’s Jaclyn Temple (Bear, DE) went 2-for-4.

Game 3: Caldwell 9, Goldey-Beacom 1 (5 innings) – The Cougars used a six-run fourth inning to hand the Lightning its first loss of the double-elimination tournament. After Caldwell took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Goldey-Beacom tied the game on an RBI single by Tiffany Frick (Pennsauken, NJ) in the top of the fourth. The Cougars responded with six hits from their first seven batters in the bottom of the fourth, including a bases-loaded two-RBI double by Gina D’Amico (Turnersville, NJ) and a three-run home run from Carrie Flasphaler (Horseheads, NY) (pictured). D’Amico went 3-for-3, while Kim Birmingham (Pine Hill, NJ) and Desiree Wilson (Gloucester City, NJ) each went 2-for-2. Jessica Saunders (Glen Burnie, MD) struck out eight to improve to 14-5.

Game 4: Georgian Court 1, Felician 0 – An unearned run in the bottom of the third was all the Lions needed to down Felician. Stacey Ryan (Brick, NJ) led off the third with a single and advanced to third on a pair of bunts. Autumn Florez (Manchester, NJ) hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Ryan for the game’s only run. The two teams combined for just four hits, two by Ryan, in a game that lasted just over an hour. Lions’ pitcher Sherry Keech (Glencoe, Ontario) allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out six in the win, while Dara DeSoccio (Cliffside Park, NJ) gave up three hits for Felician.

Game 5: Wilmington 3, Post 0 (8 innings) – A two-out, three-run home run by Nicole Hays (Bel Air, MD) in the eighth inning allowed Wilmington to stay alive in the tournament, while Post was eliminated. The game remained scoreless until the top of the eighth, when Temple singled and was sacrificed to second. After a fly-out and a walk, Hays sent a pitch from CACC Player of the Year Megan Pappas (Chester, NY) over the fence in left field. Pitcher Nikki Shallcross (Warwick, MD), who took the loss in the Wildcats’ first game of the day, gave up just four hits and one walk in 8.0 innings and retired 13 batters in a row before surrendering a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth.

Tomorrow’s games begin at 11:00 a.m. at Caldwell Field. Here is the entire tournament schedule, with links to today’s box scores:

2005 CACC Softball Tournament, May 5-7 (double elimination)

Thursday, May 5

Game 1: No. 5 Goldey-Beacom 2, No. 4 Post 1 (9 inn.) - box score

Game 2: No. 3 Felician 5, No. 6 Wilmington 4 - box score

Game 3: No. 1 Caldwell College 9, No. 5 Goldey-Beacom 1 (5 inn.) - box score

Game 4: No. 2 Georgian Court 1, No. 3 Felician 0 - box score

Game 5: No. 6 Wilmington 3, No. 4 Post 0 (8 inn.) - Post eliminated - box score

Friday, May 6

Game 6: No. 5 Goldey-Beacom vs. No. 6 Wilmington, 11:00 a.m.

Game 7: No. 3 Felician vs. Winner of Game 6, 2:00 p.m.

Game 8: No. 1 Caldwell College vs. No. 2 Georgian Court, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

Game 9: Loser of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 7, 11:00 a.m.