CALDWELL, N.J. - - The No. 10 Caldwell softball team responded in a big way after each scoring inning by the Wilmington University softball team, as the Wildcats fell, 10-1 and 9-2, to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's top team on Thursday night at Caldwell Field.
Thursday's games started a tough weekend for the Wildcats (22-20, 14-8 CACC) as they play three teams in the CACC Tournament hunt on three consecutive days.
They Wildcats hung tough early on against the Cougars (36-4, 20-1 CACC), tying the game at 1-1 with a run in the top of the third inning in game one.
Chelsea Botsch started the inning by reaching base on a fielding error. Now with two out and Botsch at third base, Ashley Bennett singled into right field, allowing Botsch to come home with the tying run.
But the Cougars responded with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning, stealing the momentum right back in the contest.
After Caldwell starter Amber Padilla shut down the Wildcats in order in the top of the fourth, the Cougar offense went right back to work in the home half, scoring six more runs on six hits to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
In game two, the Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning before taking a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
That's when the Wildcats cut the lead in half, scoring a pair in the top of the sixth to make it a game.
Cambria Ziemba started the inning with a single into left field before Colby Wyatt puts two runners by working a walk. Bennett singled into right center to score Ziemba with the Wildcats' first run, and forcing Caldwell starter Hanna Walkinshaw from the circle.
Facing reliever Sydney Ponto, Kelsey Doherty fouled out down the right field line, but deep enough to score Wyatt from third base to cut the deficit to 4-2. But that would be all the Wildcats would get, as Ponto got the next two batters out to end the threat.
In the home half of the sixth, the Cougars put the game away, scoring five runs on five hits to extend the lead back out to 9-2 and secure the victory.
Ziemba batted 3-for-7 for the Wildcats in the doubleheader while Bennett collected a pair of RBIs.
Jen Fischbach gave up six runs in three innings in the game one loss while Stephanie Sarris was saddled with the loss in game two after giving up nine runs on 10 hits.
The Wildcats head over to fellow CACC rival Dominican on Friday for another crucial conference doubleheader. The first pitch in Orangeburg, N.Y. is scheduled for 3 p.m.