BRIARCLIFF, N.Y.- The women's softball team a twin bill with Caldwell College in a non-conference doubleheader. Pace dropped the first one 14-8 but won the second 10-4. The Setters stand at 12-2 overall, while Caldwell stands at 12-5 overall.
The Setters committed three of the four errors in the game in the first inning as the Cougars came out strong at the plate. Caldwell tallied two runs and put two runs on the board to start the opener.
The Setters got on the board in the third as Jeane Drury (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic High School) (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic) reached first on a bunt before a home-run by Lana Buchbinder (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) brought her in. Nicole Schultheis (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) singled and was brought in on a double by Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) while Samantha Garcia (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) singled to bring Gellos home and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Cougars. Chelsea Shea (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) singled to left field to bring Garcia home and take the lead 5-3.
Caldwell scored seven runs in the fourth inning, one run in the fifth and three in the seventh to make the score 14-5. Garcia blasted a three-run homerun in the seventh but the Setters fell short of a comeback.
Garcia went 2-for-4, scored two runs and four RBI's while Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Buchbinder went 1-for-3, scored a run and batted in two.
The Setters were the first team on the board in the second game as Drury brought Garcia in with a homerun in the second inning. Pace put another two runs on the board in the third as Garcia and Drury had RBI singles.
Garcia homered in the fifth bringing in Gellos and Luana Natalicio (Garfield, NJ/Saint Mary High School) (Garfield, NJ/Saint Mary) to put the Setters up 7-0.
Caldwell got on the board in the sixth on a three-run homerun. The Setters answered by putting three more runs up in the sixth as Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic), Gellos and Garcia each tallied an RBI. The Cougars scored one run on a homer in the seventh but were unable to catch up to the Setters before the final out.
Garcia led Pace to the win as she homered and tallied five RBI's while Drury also homered for Pace and totaled three RBI's. Kelly Fisher (Castle Rock, CO/Douglas County) pitched a complete game for the Setters giving up only four runs on six hits and striking out four Cougars.
The Setters travel to Southern Connecticut State for a conference double-header on Saturday, March 24 at 12 pm.
