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LAKEWOOD, N.J. — The Post University softball team spit in day one of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament on Thursday, Apr. 30. Post faced Holy Family University in game one and the pitcher's duel took eight innings to decide a winner as the Tigers outlasted the Eagles by a score of 2-0. In game two of the tournament, the Eagles cruised to a 7-1 victory against Georgian Court behind a strong pitching performance and effective run support. 
 
Game One— Holy Family 2, Post 0
CACC Pitcher of the Year, Samantha Esque (Springfield, Pa.) got the nod for Post to open its quest for a conference title against Holy Family. Esque pitched 8.0 complete innings and allowed just two runs on seven hits. She struck out five and walked none. 
 
The Holy Family starter, Bailey Walters (Ridgecrest, Calif.) went the distance for her side and pitched 8.0 scoreless innings. She allowed five hits, walked five, and stuck out eight. 
 
Post was the home team in the contest, and Esque set the tone in the top-half of the first inning by retiring the Tigers in order. Sophomore Kristen Owens (Exton, Pa.) got things started for the Eagle offense with a lead-off single down the left field line, but Post stranded two and Walters would remain unblemished.
 
The Eagles reached base in all of the first four innings, but could not manage the timely hit to push a run across. Esque was dealing in the early stages of the game and gave up just one single over the first five innings.
 
First-year Korie McDonald (Middleboro, Mass.) came up with the only extra-base hit of the game, a two-out double to center field, in the bottom-half of the sixth inning to give Post its best chance at breaking the 0-0 knot. Sophomore Kathryn Dawson (Newfields, N.H.) worked a walk and both runners advanced on a pass ball, but the Eagles would go down swinging to end the inning.
 
Sophomore Natalie Lennox (Landenberg, Pa.) reached on a two-out walk in the seventh inning and promptly swiped second base. She would advance to third on a Tiger fielding error, but was again left stranded.
 
Holy Family collected four hits in the top-half of the eighth inning and scored twice. The Tigers reached base on back-to-back infield hits. With two-outs in the inning, Alyssa Cudeyro (Sicklerville, N.J.) served a RBI-single to center field, and the next batter, Alexis Daubert (Stratford, N.J.), provided insurance with another RBI-single to center. 
 
Post could not come up with the late-inning heroics in the bottom of the inning and fell short 2-0 in game one of the CACC Tournament. Holy Family's Walters was named the winning pitcher and Esque got the loss. 
 
Game Two— Post 7, Georgian Court 1
Senior Kaitlin Derby (Douglaston, N.Y.) was the called upon in game two against Georgian Court. She tossed 4.0 complete innings and allowed just one run on eight hits. 

Esque came on in relief in the fifth and tossed 3.0 perfect innings, allowing no hits, no walks, and striking out one. 
 
The Eagles jumped on the board early pushing one across in the first frame. Lennox scored on a RBI-single up the middle by Kayla Kresley (Alburtis, Pa.).
 
Post tacked on two more runs in the bottom-half of the third inning when Kresley delivered another RBI-single to center field. First-year Emily Schaffer (Hazlet, N.J.) produced another run in similar fashion with a RBI-base knock to center to score Kresley.
 
The Lions got one back in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI-single to left field by Kelly Hardiman (Howell, N.J.). With two on and no outs, Esque came out of the bullpen and retired the next three Georgian Court batters to end the inning. 
 
Schaffer collected her second RBI of the game in the bottom-half of the fifth on another base hit to right field to extend the Post lead to 4-1. 
 
The Eagles showed off their offensive firepower in the sixth by putting three more insurance runs on the board. A lead-off Dawson single was followed by a Marissa Cammarano (Bedford, Mass.) double to the right-center gap. Lennox singled to drive in two runs, and Kelsey laced a double down the left field line to collect her third RBI in the game. 
 
Post knocks off the host Georgian Court 7-1 and lives to see another day in this double-elimination tournament. 
 
Derby was named the winning pitcher for the Eagles, and Esque picked up the save. The Georgian Court starter, Abby Merryman (Sewell, N.J.) pitched a complete game loss.
 
On Deck: The action continues on Friday, May 1 when the Eagles do battle against #2 Dominican College. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.