BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – Senior starter Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) turned in her best start of the season to lead the Pace University softball team to a game-two victory and split a non-conference doubleheader against the East Region's top-ranked team in 2015, Caldwell University, Thursday afternoon at Pace Field. The Cougars grabbed a 9-1 win in game one, but the Setters bounced back for a 4-1 victory in the day's finale. Pace is now 9-6 on the year, while Caldwell moves to 10-8 with the split.
 
Game 1: Caldwell 9, Pace 1 (6 innings)
Despite eight different batters picking up base hits in Thursday's opener, the Setters were only able to bring one run across in the game. The Cougars got on the board first, bringing in two runs on three hits in the top of the third. Sophomore shortstop Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) then smacked her first home run of the season, a long fly ball to dead-center field, to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
 
Caldwell improved upon its lead in the top of the fourth with a three-run rally. Right fielder Brielle Reighn provided the big blow with a two-RBI double to right that made it a 5-1 lead for the Cougars. They added another run in the fifth, and a three-run home by shortstop Megan Fryday in the sixth made it an eight-run lead for Caldwell.
 
Among Pace's eight hits, Lew's was the only one of the extra-base variety. She went 1-for-2 in the game with an RBI and a run scored.
 
Caldwell's Amber Padilla improved to 5-2 with the win, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out four. Sophomore starter Jaclyn Flores (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual High School) took her second loss of the season to fall to 2-2.
 
Fryday finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs for Caldwell in Thursday's first game. Reighn knocked in three RBIs in a 3-for-4 outing, also scoring two runs.
 
Game 2: Pace 4, Caldwell 1
McCann cooled off the Cougars' hot bats in game two, leading to her finest outing of the season and her second win of the year. McCann went the complete seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run while fanning four batters. She improves to 2-3 on the season, and has won both of her last two starts.
 
The only run McCann allowed came in the top of the first when Caldwell had runners on the corners. McCann let a pitch get away from her, and Caldwell center fielder Amy Hickman managed to score on the wild pitch to give the Cougars an early 1-0 edge.
 
Pace rebounded in the bottom of the second with two runners on and two away. Senior third baseman Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) singled to left, bringing in sophomore center fielder Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School) from second to tie the game.
 
Sophomore left fielder Jordan Chillinsky (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad High School) was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the second, and moved up to second on Lew's single up the middle. With two down in the inning, junior second baseman Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) stroked a double to right-center, bringing in both runners to make it a 3-1 lead for the Setters.
 
Chillinsky opened the fourth with an infield single. She was then sacrificed over to second by Lew, and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Labs then drew a walk, and the Setters pulled off the double steal, bringing Chillinsky home to give Pace a three-run lead. McCann yielded just two hits the rest of the way, helping Pace earn the split and halt Caldwell's six-game winning streak.
 
Hernandez went 1-for-2 in the game with two RBIs on her third-inning double. Chillinsky batted 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Lew concluded a solid day after going 1-for-2 again with another run.
 
Caldwell's Sydney Ponto fell to 4-5 after giving up four runs on four hits and four walks in six innings of work. Six different Cougar hitters singled in the game, and Hickman netted the only run in the top of the first.
 
It's a quick turnaround for the Setters, as they get back to work on Friday, March 25. They will host Le Moyne College in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Pace Field tomorrow. First pitch for game one is set for 3 p.m.
 
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