PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. –  On Tuesday, Pace University Softball dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader against Caldwell University, falling 10–1 (5 innings) in game one before being edged 5–4 in game two. The Blue and Gold responded with a much stronger effort in the second contest but ultimately came up just short, moving to 11–5 overall.

Game One (5 innings)
Softball fell behind early in the opener as Caldwell plated a run in the first inning before breaking the game open with a four-run second inning to take a 5–0 lead.

The Blue and Gold were held in check offensively through the first three frames but broke through in the fourth inning. Willa Poplawski singled and later came around to score, cutting the deficit to 5–1.

Caldwell responded immediately, adding two runs in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth to extend the lead to 10–1 and secure the run-rule victory.

Kara King led the offense with a perfect 2-for-2 performance, while Poplawski added a hit and a run scored. Luna and Cardona also recorded hits as the Blue and Gold totaled five on the game. In the circle, Priscilla Del Toro took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) over three innings, while Nikki Chandler worked 1.2 innings in relief.

Game Two
The second game saw a much stronger effort from the Blue and Gold, who responded with a three-run second inning to take an early lead. With the bases loaded, Ashley Field delivered a two-run single, and an additional run came home on a wild pitch to give Pace a 3–2 advantage.

Caldwell answered with two runs in the third inning and added another in the fourth to move ahead 5–3.

Softball continued to battle, cutting the deficit to 5–4 in the fifth inning when Kara King drove in a run with an RBI single. The Blue and Gold threatened in the late innings, putting runners on base in both the sixth and seventh, but were unable to push across the tying run.

Field and King each drove in a pair of runs, while Jenkins recorded two hits in the contest. Scally, Poplawski, Edmond, and Hughes also contributed hits as Pace finished with nine in the game. In the circle, Alyssa Smart took the loss after allowing five runs over four innings, while Abbie Graupman provided two scoreless innings of relief.

Softball returns home on Saturday for a Northeast 10 doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire University, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m..