DRAMATIC COMEBACK ALLOWS COUGARS TO SWEEP ADELPHI IN SOFTBALL

4-9-08
CC 5, AU 0
CC 9, AU 8
CALDWELL, N.J. - Trailing 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Caldwell College softball team scored five times in its final at-bat to defeat Adelphi University, 9-8 in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Caldwell Field. The win, which followed a 5-0 victory in Game 1, gave the Cougars a sweep and improved their overall record to 20-9-2. The Panthers fall to 15-9.

After Adelphi scored twice in the top of the seventh inning of Game 2 to extend its lead to 8-4, freshman Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. St. Charles Acad.) led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. Following a groundout that advanced Ryan to second and an intentional walk to senior Gina Capardi (West Caldwell, NJ/Caldwell), junior Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) blasted a three-run homer to left-center to make the score 8-7. It was her first home run of the season. The Cougars then proceeded to load the bases on two walks and an error, bringing freshman Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) to the plate with one out. Tamez, who had driven in runs in her previous two at-bats, roped a single to right field, scoring senior Kim Aguirre (Highland, CA/San Gorgonio) and sophomore Patti Garofolo (Collegeville, PA/Springford) with the tying and winning runs.

Tamez went 3-for-3 with five runs batted in for the game, while Garofolo went 2-for-4 with three runs. Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn McFarlane (Secaucus, NJ/Immaculate Conception) earned the victory after working 3 1/3 innings of relief. Adelphi pounded out 16 hits in the game, including 12 from the first four batters in the lineup. Jessica Vogt and Diana DiPiano drove in three runs apiece for the Panthers.

The first game was dominated by sophomore pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff), who tossed a two-hit shutout. Both hits came in the top of the fifth, putting runners at second and third with one out. But Pulido got out of the inning with a groundout and a line out. The Cougars scored the only run they would need in the bottom of the fifth, when Timbrook singled home junior Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston). In the bottom of the sixth, Genovese hit a two-run double, then scored on a double by Capardi. Timbrook followed with a single that plated Capardi for a 5-0 lead.

Pulido (8-2) struck out three batters and walked none for her second shutout of the season. She also started the second game and pitched two scoreless innings. Offensively, Tamez finished the day 5-for-6, while Timbrook, pictured, drove in five runs.

The Cougars do not play until Monday, Apr. 13, when they play a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Holy Family University.

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