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Box Score 2
CALDWELL, N.J. – Freshman first baseman
Briana Gaspich (Brick Memorial H.S./Brick, N.J.) had five hits and scored four runs with three runs batted in as Caldwell College (39-12, 21-5) used a pair of late-inning rallies to earn a sweep of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference softball doubleheader over Goldey-Beacom College in the regular season finale for both teams at the Cougars' Caldwell Field on Saturday afternoon.
After breaking a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn a 6-5 victory in the first game, the Cougars used a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning in the nightcap for an identical 6-5 win.
With the wins, the Cougars clinched the number two seed for the eight-team CACC Tournament, which begins on Thursday morning at Georgian Court University. Meanwhile, the Lightning was eliminated from CACC Tournament consideration with the two losses.
Trailing by 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning in the first game, the Lightning rallied to tie the game at 5-5 when sophomore outfielder
Michelle Foster (Overbrook H.S./West Berlin, N.J.) scored from second base when freshman shortstop
Samantha Alonzo (Roy C. Ketcham H.S./Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) reached base on an error.
But, the Cougars answered in the bottom of the inning to earn the victory when senior
Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley H.S./Fountain Valley, Calif.) singled down the left field line to score the game-winning run.
The Cougars took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. After junior infielder
Dia Cascone (Susan E. Wagner H.S./Staten Island, N.Y.) led off the inning with a solo home run to left field, sophomore second baseman
Nicole Velardi (Belleville H.S./Belleville, N.J.) upped the Caldwell advantage to 2-0 with a run-scoring single up the middle.
In the top of the second inning, the Lightning trimmed the deficit to 2-1 when senior outfielder
Cailin Cavanaugh (Newark H.S./Newark, Del.) blasted her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to left center field.
Goldey-Beacom tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning when Alonzo hit an RBI single to left field before adding a pair of runs in the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead on a two-run home run by sophomore
Ashley Zaccaria (Gloucester City H.S./Gloucester City, N.J.). It was Zaccaria's first home run of the season.
After Caldwell narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by freshman third baseman
Sara Zambelli (West Milford H.S./West Milford, N.J.), the Cougars took advantage of a Lightning error to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Velardi followed with an infield single to give Caldwell a 5-4 edge.
In the nightcap, the Lightning took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on RBI singles by seniors
Ashley Paige (Hodgson Vo-Tech H.S./Middletown, Del.) and
Danie Rice (Kingsway Regional H.S./Mullica Hill, N.J.). But, the Cougars trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning when freshman
Alyssa Calderon (Etiwanda H.S./Fontana, Calif.) doubled to left center field, which scored Gaspich from first base.
After senior first baseman
Jordan Waterloo (Thomas Stone H.S./Waldorf, Md.) hit a solo home run to lead off the top of the fourth inning for a 3-1 Lightning edge, Paige upped the advantage to 4-1 when she scored on a Caldwell error after a single by senior
Shannon Graves (Glassboro H.S./Glassboro, N.J.).
Rice added an RBI single to left field in the top of the fifth inning to give Goldey-Beacom a 5-1 lead.
But, the Cougars put together another late rally to earn the sweep in the bottom of the seventh inning. With no outs in the inning, Gaspich closed the margin to 5-4 when she hit a three-run home run to right center field. With two outs in the inning, Zambelli gave the Cougars the one-run victory when she reached base on an infield single and throwing error that allowed two runs to score.
While Gaspich led the Cougars to the doubleheader sweep, freshman pitcher
Hanna Walkinshaw (Aptos H.S./Aptos, Calif.) earned both wins by pitching 6.0 innings of relief. In the first game, she pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one unearned run on three hits. She also pitched 2.1 innings in the second game and did not allow a hit.
One of seven Goldey-Beacom seniors playing in the final games of their college career, Paige led the Lightning by going 5-for-5 with three doubles and three runs scored. Meanwhile, Graves contributed four hits and two stolen bases with a run scored.
Lightning Strikes: The Lightning finished the season by splitting its final eight games … Graves ended the season with a 10-game hitting streak while Foster ended the year with a hit in her final eight games … Graves hit .457 during her 10-game hit streak with 16 hits and five stolen bases … With a hit in each game on Saturday, Foster finished the season with a school-record 53 hits … She now has a .343 career batting average in two seasons, the third-highest average in school history … Rice ends her career with a .324 average, which ranks fifth all-time … Alonzo finished the year with 47 hits, which ties for third on the Lightning's single-season list … Cavanaugh, Foster and Waterloo tied a school record by starting all 45 games this year … Graves finished the year with 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts, the second-highest single-season total in school history … Cavanaugh and Rice finished their careers by playing in a school-record 161 games … In addition, Cavanaugh set the school record by starting 158 career games … Graves will end her career as the school's all-time leader with 89 runs scored and 44 stolen bases … Meanwhile, Cavanaugh moved into a tie for fourth place in school history with her seventh career home run … The Lightning had a 6-4 record this year in games decided by a one-run margin.
