Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CALDWELL, N.J. – The Felician University softball team lost both ends of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader to host Caldwell University, 3-0 and 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Caldwell Field.
Caldwell (29-11, 21-3 CACC) is the first-place team in the CACC, and is ranked No. 17 in the most recent national NCAA Division II coaches' poll. The Cougars have won 15 of their last 16 games.
Felician (15-29, 8-16) has two regular-season games remaining, a doubleheader at Georgian Court University on Saturday. Wednesday's losses did not end the Golden Falcons' CACC playoff hopes, but they now must win both of their contests on Saturday, and receive favorable results in three other league twinbills, in order to qualify for the postseason as the No. 8 seed.
Wednesday's initial game featured a pitchers' duel between Felician sophomore right-hander Ashley Owens (Lockport, N.Y.) and Cougar senior righty Amber Padilla (Chino, Calif.). The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Caldwell leadoff hitter Amber Hickman (Jackson, N.J.) created a run on the basepaths. Hickman hit into a fielder's choice grounder, stole second base, then stole third and continued home when the throw went into left field.
Caldwell received insurance in the sixth on the league-leading 14th home run of the season by sophomore catcher Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, N.J.), a two-run shot with no one out. The extra runs proved important when Felician sophomore Jeannette Roldan (Hesperia, Calif.) reached on an error to start the seventh, and Mia Montoya (Cypress, Calif.) followed with a single. But Padilla (15-3) completed a two-hitter by retiring the next three batters on a lineout and two grounders.
Owens went the distance on a five-hitter, and Racquel Manzo (Whittier, Calif.) had Felician's other hit. Monasseri and Brielle Reighn (Runnemeade, N.J.) collected two hits apiece for the Cougars.
Felician sent Owens (8-13) back to the pitching circle for Game 2, and the Cougars got off to a 4-0 lead on a two-out, grand slam home run by Carly Testa (Sicklerville, N.J.) in the first inning. All four runs went as unearned due to a Golden Falcon error earlier in the frame.
Owens held Caldwell off of the scoreboard the rest of the way, allowing her offense time to mount a comeback. Zeaenna Brackett (Woodbury, N.J.) sent an RBI single to center field in the top of the third, bringing home Amanda Lopez (Riverbank, Calif.), who had doubled. The 4-1 score held until the sixth, when Manzo launched a two run homer to left, her fifth of the season.
The Golden Falcons threatened to tie or go ahead in the seventh, putting two runners on base with one out. But Caldwell junior pitcher Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, N.J.) (13-7) induced a double-play grounder to end the game. Ponto scattered nine hits in a complete-game effort, striking out five batters and walking none.
Owens allowed no earned runs on six hits, and was 2 for 3 with a double at the plate. Brackett finished 2 for 4. Testa was 2 for 3 for the Cougars.
