WOOD-RIDGE, N.J. – The Felician University softball team lost both ends of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader to visiting Dominican (N.Y.) College on Saturday evening at the Wood-Ridge Athletics Complex. Dominican claimed Game 1 by a 10-5 score before outlasting the Golden Falcons, 5-3 in nine innings, in the nightcap.

Between games, Felician honored seniors Martarina Crumb (Branchville, N.J./Sussex Tech) and Trinity Garcia (West Covina, Calif./West Covina), both pitchers, and utility player Krystina Lorch (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) in a Senior Night ceremony.

Senior right-hander Samantha Carbonara (Newark, Del./St. George's) was the winning pitcher in relief in both games for the Chargers (19-22, 12-12), who secured a berth in next week's CACC Championship tournament with the sweep. Felician could still qualify for the postseason with two victories during a makeup doubleheader at regionally-ranked Caldwell University on Sunday.

Sophomores Vienna Chierchia (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) and Daisha Howard (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) collected three hits each on the day for Felician (14-23, 9-13).

The Golden Falcons led, 5-3, after four innings of the opener. Dominican went ahead to stay with four runs during the top of the fifth. Freshman Emma Kaszovitz (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) capped the uprising with a go-ahead two-run single.

Carbonara had entered in the first inning after Felician had scored a run on four walks. In 6 1/3 innings she allowed three earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Haylee Redmond Ridge (Bellflower, Calif./Mayfair) and Toni-Jo Lopez (Sylmar, Calif./Bishop Alemany) each had a home run among two hits for the Chargers. Chierchia (two RBI) and Howard were each 2 for 3 for Felician.

Game 2 saw right-handers Journey Limardo (Anaheim, Calif.) of Dominican and Felician's Garcia locked in a scoreless duel for four frames. The Chargers broke through in the fifth on RBI singles by Lopez and Jenna O'Reilly (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern), only to see the hosts tie the game in the sixth on Howard's two-run home run. Felician had the potential go-ahead run cut down at home plate in a ground ball later in the inning.

Carbonara (6-5) entered with two on and none out for Felician in the bottom of the seventh, and retired the next three batters to extend the game. In the eighth, Lopez threw out another runner at the plate from her second base position, forcing the international tiebreaker for the ninth. The Chargers finally broke through on Garcia with consecutive home runs by Kristin Miscia (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) and Madison Walker (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) for a 5-3 edge. Felician scored the placed runner in the home half but Carbonara obtained the final three outs.

Felician left 11 runners on base. Lauren Del Campo (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) and Johanna Rivera (Cliffside Park, N.J./Mount St. Dominic Academy) picked up two safeties apiece for Felician. Garcia (4-5), who threw 147 pitches, had a career-high 10 strikeouts in defeat.

Felician's date with Caldwell on Sunday begins at noon.