CACC Tournament Central: https://www.caccathletics.org/sports/Championship/21-22/SOFT
CACC Tournament Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caccathletics/albums/72177720298643381
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - A four-run fifth inning gave top seed and host Georgian Court the lead for good in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament winner's bracket semifinal, defeating the No. 2 Wilmington University softball team, 6-4, on Friday.
The Wildcats then needed to come back and win an elimination game to advance back to the championship for the first time since 2019, and lead Caldwell, 6-3, in a rain-halted game in the sixth inning. The game will resume on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. with the winner to face Georgian Court in the finals.
The rain didn't stop the Wildcats' offense against the Lions, as they collected 10 hits, but the Lions were aided by three homers on their home field, scoring six runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings combined.
The Wildcats got the scoring starting in the top of the third inning, as Lauren Lopez finishing things off with a two-out RBI single. Kiersten Comer started the inning with a single but the Wildcats still had a runner on first with two outs. Lexi Moore kept the inning alive with a single to left and then Lopez plated Tristyn Stewart with her RBI to right.
The Lions answered with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Wildcats were able to take the lead again in the top of the fifth. Kiersten Comer was the catalyst again, leading off the inning with a double. Stewart put runners on first and third with a single and then Lexi Moore singled into center to plate Comer for the 2-1 lead.
But the Lions had a say right away in the bottom of the fifth, getting another solo homer to start the inning to tie the game, 2-2. But the Lions struck again with two outs in the inning, getting an RBI double and a two-run homer to take a 5-2 lead. The Lions added an insurance run on a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to lead 6-2.
Down to their last chance, the Wildcats plated two in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but fell short, 6-4. Kiersten Comer stayed hot with a solo homer in the inning and then Lauren Lopez hit an RBI double off the base of the wall as well.
HALTED GAME VS. CALDWELL
The Wildcats got off to a fast start against Caldwell, scoring four in the bottom of the first. Kiersten Comer couldn't miss Friday, as she had an RBI single to start the scoring. Now with two outs and the bases loaded, Arianna Millan hit a two-run single up the middle. Again with the bases loaded, Tristyn Stewart beat out an infield single to first to make it 4-0.
Starter Renamarie Rocha gave up a hit in each of the first four innings, but left them on base with not much of a threat. Lexi Moore added a run for the Wildcats in the bottom of the fourth, singling in Taylor Gillis for the 5-0 lead.
Caldwell got on the board in the fifth starting the inning with a single and a double. The Cougars scored on an RBI groundout and then a two-run homer, but Rocha picked up a strikeout to escape further damage.
Millan hit an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth to settle the score, 6-3, through 5 complete innings.