LYNDHURST, N.J. – Felician University came up on the short end of both games of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference softball doubleheader against visiting Caldwell University on Tuesday afternoon at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex. The Cougars claimed victories by scores of 10-2 and 11-2, with each contest being halted after five innings by the NCAA eight-run rule.

Felician (10-18, 9-9 CACC) returned home after playing road conference doubleheaders the previous three days. The Golden Falcons were limited to seven base hits on the afternoon, all singles, with junior Sam Melendez (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) and freshman Daisha Howard (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) picking up one in each game.

In Game 1, Caldwell led, 1-0, after two innings before breaking things open with a six-run third. A walk and four hits plated two runs and loaded the bases with none out. A throwing error allowed two more runs to score, and a single and sacrifice fly capped the uprising. The Cougars added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth. Felician scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth but was unable to extend the game.

Senior catcher Paige Sandoval (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Aliso Niguel) was 3 for 3 with a double and home run to lead the Caldwell offense. Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y./Tioga Central) pitched 4 2/3 innings for the victory, giving up one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Five different players had safeties for the Golden Falcons, with Sarah Harrell (Chesapeake, Va./Greenbrier Christian Academy) knocking in a run.

Caldwell (17-8-1, 14-8) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings of the nightcap, with a three-run home run by Chloe VanGorder (Harvey's Lake, Pa./Lake Lehman) capping a four-run second-inning rally. Another three-run blast, this time by Anyssia Ramirez (Brentwood, Calif./Heritage), extended the visitors' lead to 10-0 in the fourth. Felician's runs came in the home half of the fourth on bases-loaded walks to Krystina Lorch (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) and Jaylene Sierra (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris).

The Cougars out-hit Felician, 13-2, for the game. Caldwell sophomore Taylor Mischler (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) was 3 for 3 with three runs scored.

Felician ends a stretch of 10 games in five days by hosting Nyack College on Wednesday in Lyndhurst.