SOFTBALL TOPS NORTHERN STATE, FALLS TO UMD ON FINAL DAY OF REBEL GAMES

3-18-08
CC 5, NSU 2
UMD 6, CC 4
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Caldwell College softball team split a pair of games on its last day at the Rebel Spring Games, defeating Northern State University, 5-2 before falling to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, 6-4 Tuesday afternoon at the Fortune Road Complex. The results mark the end of the Cougars' stay in Florida, as the team heads north with a 4-6 record. Junior Gina Capardi (West Caldwell, NJ/Caldwell) had four hits on the day, including three in her first three at-bats. She extended her hitting streak to nine consecutive at-bats, following yesterday's 6-for-6 performance.

In the victory over Northern State, located in South Dakota, the Cougars scored a run in the top of the first on a single by freshman Annie Forte (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) that brought home Capardi from second base. Sophomore Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) doubled and later scored on a wild pitch in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Then in the fifth, senior Alyssa Speno (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo) led off with a double and came home on Capardi's single. Timbrook then singled home Capardi to give Caldwell a 4-0 lead. After Northern State put its first run of the game on the board in the sixth, a sacrifice fly by freshman Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Spring Hill) allowed sophomore Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley) to score from third to make the score 5-1. The Wolves added another run in the bottom of the seventh, but came no closer.

Freshman pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) went the distance in the circle, giving up four hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out six for her third win of the season. Capardi, who went 6-for-6 from the plate on Monday, recorded hits in her first three at-bats to extend her hitting streak to nine consecutive at-bats. She finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI. Speno, Frantellizzi, Forte and Timbrook also had multi-hit games.

Against Minnesota-Duluth, the Cougars gave up five runs in the first three innings to trail 5-2. Capardi and Forte drove in Caldwell's runs in the first and third innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Bodrog singled home senior Carrie Flasphaler (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) to cut the deficit to 5-3. But UMD restored its three-run lead with a run-scoring double by Ashley Johnson in the top of the sixth. Bodrog's third hit of the game plated junior Kim Aguirre (Highland, CA/San Gorgonio) to make the score 6-4. But the Cougars were unable to score in the final inning.

The Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits, while the Cougars left eight runners on base. Junior Kristen de la Campa (Whitman, MA/Whitman Hanson) took the loss, and Kristen Danielson earned the victory for Duluth.

Caldwell returns home to host American International on Thursday, Mar. 20 for a non-conference doubleheader. The first game is set to start at 3:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.

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