COUGARS SWEEP NYACK TO OPEN CACC PLAY

3-25-08
CC 4, NC 0
CC 9, NC 1
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team began its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule by taking two from Nyack College, 4-0 and 9-1 in a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The sweep evens the Cougars overall record at 6-6, while the Warriors drop to 4-8 on the season. Senior Nicole Bodrog (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), pictured, and sophomore Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) had four hits apiece on the day.

Bodrog opened the scoring in the first game with a double that scored sophomore Sydney Day (Houston, TX/Stratford) in the bottom of the third. She later scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Gina Capardi (West Caldwell, NJ/Caldwell) for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars loaded the bases and executed a squeeze play off the bat of senior Carrie Flasphaler (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) that brought home Timbrook. After advancing to third, Flasphaler stole home on a double steal with Day for a 4-0 lead.

That's all the run support freshman pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) needed. The reigning CACC Pitcher of the Week, Pulido (4-1) went the distance and allowed just three hits and no walks while fanning five for her third shutout of the season. Bodrog, who had two doubles, Timbrook and freshman Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Spring Hill) each had a pair of hits in the win. Nyack's Lauren Merkley (3-3) also pitched a complete game and took the loss.

In the bottom of the first in Game 2, Capardi tripled home Bodrog, then scored on a double by freshman Annie Forte (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) for a 2-0 lead. Nyack pushed a run across in the second inning on Natalie Traina's RBI single to make the score 2-1. The Cougars answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to increase their advantage to 6-1. Sophomore Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley), Forte and Timbrook each had RBIs in the inning. Then in the fourth, Frantellizzi singled home two runs and Timbrook drove in another for a 9-1 lead. The Warriors failed to score in the top of the fifth, ending the game.

Junior Cecilia Goforth (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Acad.) struck out a career-high eight batters while giving up five hits and an unearned run in five innings for her first victory of the season. Bodrog, Timbrook, Capardi, Frantellizzi and Forte recorded two hits apiece, with Capardi scoring three runs and Frantellizzi tallying three RBIs.

The Cougars will play a non-conference doubleheader at Pace University on Wednesday, Mar. 26, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Pleasantville, N.Y.

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