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CALDWELL SOFTBALL ENDS SEASON WITH LOSS AT NCAA REGIONAL

May 12, 2006

Courtesy of Matt McLagan, Caldwell SID

SMITHFIELD, RI - The Caldwell College softball team dropped a 1-0 decision to Southern New Hampshire University at the NCAA Northeast Region Tournament Friday morning at the Bryant Softball Complex. The loss eliminates the Cougars from the tournament and ends their season at 36-17, while the Penmen, making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, improve to 22-22.

The game's lone run came in the top of the third inning. After the Cougars recorded two outs, Nikki Cote singled and Karissa Bettencourt walked. Felicia Brum followed with a clutch single to left, scoring Cote for a 1-0 lead. Caldwell managed just one hit off of pitcher Ashley Bernstein, a double by senior Katie Jackson (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville), left, in the bottom of the sixth. Bernstein went the distance to improve to 10-9.

Junior pitcher Anna Dahl (Lindenwold, NJ/Camden Catholic) kept Caldwell in the game by holding the Penmen to just six hits in seven innings despite taking a hard line-drive off her left hand in the first inning. Dahl completes her season at 15-8.

The loss also marked the end of the careers of seven seniors who led the Cougars to three-straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference titles and three trips to the NCAA Northeast Region Tournament. Seniors Jackson, Kim Birmingham (Pine Hill, NJ/Overbrook), Amy Coker (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville), Gina D'Amico (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Twp), Kristi Godfrey (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon), Sara Neely (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) and Jessica Saunders (Glen Burnie, MD/Archbishop Spaulding) compiled an impressive record of 151-54 in their four years at Caldwell College.

"We got two great games from Anna Dahl, our pitcher, and we made all of the plays in the field. We just struggled to hit the ball this weekend, and it cost us," Caldwell head coach Dean Johnson said. "I really feel for our seniors right now. They have meant so much to our program and the College, and I know they didn't want to go out like this."

The 2006 season featured several highlights, including Johnson's 300th career victory, a third-straight CACC Tournament championship and Jackson becoming the first Cougar to be named CACC Player of the Year in the 17-year history of the program.