CAPARDI'S EXTRA-INNING HOME RUN ALLOWS COUGARS TO SPLIT WITH NO. 13 C.W. POST

4-13-08
CWP 13, CC 1 (5 inn.)
CC 2, CWP 1 (8 inn.)
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - Junior Gina Capardi (West Caldwell, NJ/Caldwell) hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the Caldwell College softball team a 2-1 victory over 13th-ranked C.W. Post in Game 2 of a non-conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at the C.W. Post Softball Complex. The Cougars, who earned the extra-inning win after losing the first game 13-1, are now 19-13 on the season, while the Pioneers are 27-12.

Trailing 1-0 in the second game, the Cougars tied the score in the top of the third, when senior Nicole Bodrog (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) doubled, then later scored from third on a passed ball. Both teams failed to score through the seventh, forcing extra innings. The Pioneers loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the eighth, but Caldwell pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) induced a fly out to left to end the inning. In the top of the ninth, Capardi, who left the game with an injury in the third inning, re-entered and led off the inning with a home run to left field, her third of the season. C.W. Post moved a runner to second with two out in the bottom of the ninth, but the next batter grounded out to Pulido to end the game.

Pulido (10-3) pitched all nine innings, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out six and walking three. The victory is the second of the season for the Cougars and Pulido, who blanked No. 5 Lock Haven University, 1-0 on Mar. 15. Christina Berardi (12-6) also went the distance for the Pioneers, recording 10 strikeouts while giving up four hits and two runs.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in Game 1 on back-to back doubles by Capardi and freshman Annie Forte (Toms River, NJ/Toms River). But C.W. Post put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first and two more in the second for a 6-1 advantage. A seven-run fourth inning, sparked by a three-run homer from Katie Fisher, made it 13-1. Junior pitcher Kristen de la Campa (Whitman, MA/Whitman Hanson) took the loss to fall to 3-5 on the season, while Samantha Yodowitz held Caldwell to five hits and one run in five innings to improve to 14-6.

The Cougars return to action on Wednesday, Apr. 16 with a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Felician College.

Back to the Softball page