May 1, 2007

Box Score

Caldwell, N.J. - The #19 ranked Adelphi University softball team captured its 19th straight win with a 10-1, 9-6 sweep of Caldwell College yesterday afternoon. The Panthers (36-8) also set a new school record for most DII wins in a season, while the Cougars fall to 31-15.

In the first game, Adelphi scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. The Cougars answered with a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by senior Jackie Velardi that scored junior Nicole Bodrog. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fourth, when the Panthers exploded for six runs for a commanding 8-1 advantage. Diana DiPiano had a two-run single in the inning for Adelphi, which hit 11 singles in the game. The Panthers took advantage of two Caldwell errors to put two more runs on the board in the top of the seventh for a 10-1 lead.

Junior Julie Schaper pitched all seven innings for Adelphi to earn the victory, while sophomore Kristen de la Campa lasted 3 1/3 innings and took the loss.

Adelphi opened the scoring in Game 2 as well, getting a run-scoring single from DiPiano in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. The Cougars took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the first, when Falkowski homered over the left-field fence with Bodrog on second for a 2-1 advantage. In the bottom of the second, Bodrog and Velardi each had RBI singles to put the Cougars up 4-1. Velardi singled home Bodrog for the second time of the game in the bottom of the fourth to give Caldwell a 5-1 lead. But back-to-back doubles by sophomore Kristin Brennan and DiPiano sparked a four-run fifth inning that tied the game at 5-5. Sophomore Angela Martin singled home senior Alana daSilva for the game-tying run.

In the top of the sixth, sophomore Jessica Vogt brought home Brennan with a single to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead. Caldwell then tied the game at 6-6, when Speno's grounder plated Bodrog in the bottom of the sixth. But Adelphi broke the tie with a two-run triple by sophomore Samantha Johnston in the top of the seventh for an 8-6 lead. Johnston later scored on a bunt by Brennan to make the score 9-6.

Schaper (18-5) entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and did not allow a hit in two innings of work to earn the win. Senior Nicole Webb started for Caldwell and pitched 6 1/3 innings to take the loss.

The previous Adelphi Divison II record for wins in a season of 35 was set during the 2003 season as the Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Division I school record of 42 wins came during the 1984 season when the team finished fifth in the College World Series.

Adelphi will complete its 2007 regular season scheule this afternoon as they host Bloomfield College at 1:00 p.m.

Courtesy Caldwell Sports Information