No. 13 Softball Splits With Caldwell College, 13-1, 1-2
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (April 13, 2008) - The Pioneers earned a split with non-conference Northeast Regional rival Caldwell College, exploding for a 13-1, five-inning win in game one, but dropping a heartbreaker in the ninth, 2-1, in the nightcap.
The Pioneers move to 27-12, while Caldwell now stands at 19-12.
The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Gina Capardi and Annie Forte hit back-to-back doubles, but the Pioneers responded with a four-run first inning of their own to take the lead.
Melissa Medina (Levittown, N.Y.) singled to start the inning, and scored when
Christie Softy (Floral Park, N.Y.) doubled to right. A
Melissa Hippo (Granite Bay, Calif.) single and a
Samantha Yodowitz (Suffern, N.Y.) double to right center scored two more Pioneer runs.
Katie Younes (Amesbury, Mass.) singled in another run to round out the scoring for the Pioneers in the first.
Two more runs in the second gave the Pioneers a 6-1 lead, and a seven-run fourth, capped by a three-run homer by
Katie Fisher (Boyertown, Pa.), put the game out of reach for the Cougars and end it in the fifth inning via the mercy rule.
Yodowitz picked up her 14th win, allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate, scoring a run while driving in two. Medina went 3-for-4, while Hippo, Younes, and
Holly Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) each had two hits.
The second game was a pitching matchup between freshman standouts
Christina Berardi (Raynham, Mass.) and the Cougars' Brittany Pulido.
The Pioneers scored first in the bottom of the second when Hippo led off the inning with a single and scored when Eringis roped a double that hit the top of the outfield fence.
The Cougars answered right back when Nicole Bodrog doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball.
Both teams put up zeros until the top of the ninth, when Capardi roped a home run to left field to give the Cougars the lead.
The Pioneers had a chance in the bottom of the inning, when pinch hitter
Shannon Kulnis (Flemington, N.J.) worked Pulido for a walk.
Amanda Aiello (Charlton, Mass.) pinch ran for Kulnis, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fisher. Pinch hitter
Jackie Dionne (Somerset, Mass.) ripped a shot up the middle, but Pulido knocked it down and threw her out at first to record the final out.
Berardi was the hard-luck loser, giving up two runs on just four hits, striking out ten batter and walking two.
Hippo went 2-for-4 to lead the offense.
The Pioneers return to action on April 15, when they host Bridgeport for a 3 p.m. game.