CALDWELL EDGES NYACK TWICE IN CACC SOFTBALL OPENER
3-25-06
CC 3, NC 2
CC 5, NC 3
CALDWELL,
N.J. - Junior Stacy Falkowski (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), left, hit
a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie
in the second game and give the Caldwell College softball team a sweep of a
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Nyack College,
3-2 and 5-3 Saturday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The wins, which marked the
first home and CACC series of the season for the Cougars, give Caldwell a
6-6 overall record, while Nyack falls to 4-12, 1-3 CACC.
Sophomore Alyssa Speno (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo) started things off for
the Cougars in the first game by leading off the first inning with a bunt
single. She then stole second and later scored on a double by senior
Katie Jackson (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville) to put Caldwell ahead 1-0. In
the fourth inning, Falkowski doubled to left-centerfield to lead off. Junior
Jackie Velardi (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) followed with a double
down the leftfield line, scoring sophomore Meghan Johnston (Kirkland,
WA/Lake Washington), who pinch-ran for Falkowski.
Speno, who was 3 for 3 in game one, bunted for a single again and stole
second with one out in the fifth. Then with two out, Jackson hit her second
double of the day and seven of the season to plate Speno and put the Cougars
ahead 3-0. Nyack scored twice in the top of the seventh, when Laura Briggs
doubled home Brittany Cawley, then scored on a double from Denny Pounds. But
Caldwell pitcher Kristin de la Campa (Whitman, MA/Whitman Hanson)
induced an infield pop up and struck out the final batter to close out the
win. De la Campa went the distance, allowing three hits and one earned run
to improve to 2-2.
The
Warriors struck first in game two with a home run by Briggs in the top of
the second. Caldwell answered in the bottom-half of the inning, when
sophomore Carrie Flasphaler (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), right,
doubled to center, then scored on an error to tie the game at 1-1. Nyack
regained the lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI double by Briggs that
scored Cawley from first. Briggs advanced to third on a fly-out to right,
then scored on an error to put the Warriors up 3-1. Briggs, who was 3 for 3
with a homer, double and triple in game two, tripled in the sixth but was
thrown out on a grounder by Falkowski to keep the score 3-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior Sara Neely (Middlesex,
NJ/Middlesex) drew a lead-off walk, then advanced to third on a single by
senior Kim Birmingham (Pine Hill, NJ/Overbrook). Neely scored on a
wild pitch to cut the deficit to 3-2. With Birmingham on third, Flasphaler
tripled to right field, tying the game at 3-3. Flasphaler tried to score the
go-ahead run on a fly-out to left by senior Kristi Godfrey (West
Babylon, NY/West Babylon), but she was thrown out by Nyack's Melanie Susen.
After the Warriors failed to reach base in the top of the seventh, sophomore
Nicole Bodrog (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) led off with a walk, then moved
to second on a sacrifice by Jackson. Falkowski then ended the game with a
bomb to left center for her first homer of the season. Junior pitcher
Anna Dahl (Lindenwold, NJ/Camden Catholic) gave up one hit and no runs
in 3 2/3 innings of work in relief of starter Ceci Goforth (Houston
TX/St. Agnes Academy).
The Cougars return to action on Sunday, Mar. 26, with a non-conference
doubleheader at Bryant University, beginning at 12:00 p.m.
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