Caldwell, N.J. - In two tight games, the Adelphi University softball team lost both ends of its doubleheader against Caldwell University on Tuesday afternoon, by the final scores of 5-3 and 3-2 on the road.
Game 1: Adelphi 3, Caldwell 5
It took a late surge from the Cougars in the fifth to overcome the visitors in the day's early action.
A dazzling double play coraled by
Lily Kenney and then fired from
Tori Parente to
Brianna Pearson ended the first inning. In the next frame, Caldwell put three runs on the scoreboard following two singles and a double steal to gain some quick leverage.
The Brown and Gold made a dent into the deficit in the third following
Courtney Wengryn's RBI double, that scored
Angelina Kellogg from second. That inning was followed with
Ellen Tarjan finding a way through the left side to bring home Pearson, putting the game within one.
Zee Zee Shreter then tied the game off a single to knot the contest up at three.
Kenney tamed the Cougars despite allowing eight hits through four frames, as clutch putouts helped her strand three on base throughout that time. Unfortunately, two extra base hits from the hosts scored the game's most decisive runs by the end of the fifth inning.
Even with two Panthers reaching base across the sixth and seventh, the Cats were unable to capitalize, giving the Red and Gold the victory in the opener.
Game 2: Adelphi 2, Caldwell 3
The nightcap ended in nail-biting fashion with a walk-off single in favor of Caldwell to close out the afternoon.
Offense was scarce through the first five innings. The Cougars' only run got to the plate after two consecutive errors from the Panthers on the same play in the second.
Starting pitcher
Jenna Plue commanded the circle throughout the second game, tallying eight strikeouts through six innings. This included a stretch in the fifth and sixth where she struck out four out of five batters she faced, with the last one sending the game to the seventh.
In the road half of the sixth, Shreter's game-tying single lit up the Adelphi fans, as Angeline Montanez and
Jordyn Pasqueralli came sprinting to the plate. A 1-2-3 seventh gave the Cougars the upper hand heading into the final frame.
Registering another strikeout to begin the last inning, Plue and the visiting defense seemed to have a handle on the opposition. Later on in the seventh, a single, walk, and hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs. When Caldwell's McKenzie Nazionale tapped a dribbler up the middle, a mishandled play at shortstop allowed all runners to reach safely, giving the Cougars a non-conference sweep.
The Panthers will return home to Janet L. Ficke Field on Thursday, April 17 for their rescheduled doubleheader against University of New Haven. First pitch from Garden City is slated for 2:30 p.m..
