Lakewood, N.J. (5/2/13)  The Dominican College softball team, the top seed in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Softball Tournament, won two games today on day one of the 2013 CACC Championships.  DC topped the eighth-seeded Rams of Philadelphia University, 9-5, in the first game of the day and edged the fourth-seeded Lions of Georgian Court University, 8-7.

Game One:  Dominican trailed 1-0 after an inning and a half of play when the team rallied with a six run bottom stanza to take a 6-1 lead.  Right fielder Leanna Feerick (Maybrook, N.Y.) laid down a bunt single which allowed the first DC run to score and senior Kathryn Coles* (Farmville, Va.) followed with a run-scoring double to left field.  A single through the left side off the bat of shorstop Alyssa Schwed (Kinnelon, N.J.) brought home the third run of the inning and a sacrifice from Julie Plante* (Swansea, Mass.) allowed a run to score.  A two-out single through the left side from Shannon Haukap (Edmonds, Wash.) scored another run and senior Delaney Childers (Johnstown, Ohio) hit an RBI double to center field for the sixth DC run of the inning.

The Rams cut the deficit to 6-4 with three runs in the third inning, but the Lady Chargers added an insurance run in the fourth on the lead off home run by Plante.

DC led 7-5 after six and a half innings when they struck for two more runs in the bottom half of the inning as senior Ashley Corrao* (Staten Island, N.Y.) hit a two-out RBI single to right center and pinch hitter Elizabeth Hogan (San Jose, Calif.) later followed with an RBi double to left center for the final run of the game.

CACC Rookie of the Year, Kimberly Ragazzo (Lawrenceville, N.J.), picked up the win (10-5) in four innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits.

Starter Childers went three innings, allowing four runs on eight hits in the no decision.

Game Two:  Dominican jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in game two, but saw the lead twindle away as the Lions tied the score with a run in the top of the seventh to make the score 7-7.

DC scored three runs in the first inning on home runs as Haukap hit a one out blast and Corrao later followed with a two out two-run shot to left center field.

The Lady Chargers added two more runs in the second on the infield single by Plante and an RBI single from Haukap.

GCU scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead, 6-5, but Dominican rallied with two runs in the bottom stanza on the home run off the bat of Plante to regain a 7-6 advantage.  The Lions re-tied the game in their half of the seventh on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.

In the bottom of the seventh, Elizabeth Hogan (San Jose, Calif.) hit a bases loaded sacrfice fly ball to right field to bring home the winning run in the 8-7 victory.

Childers got the win (16-8) in one inning of relief.

Plante finished the game with three RBIs, while Corrao and Haukap each had two RBIs.

The Lady Chargers are back in action tomorrow afternoon as they take on the #2 Caldwell Cougars at 1pm.