WATERBURY, Conn. – As Post University Softball gets deeper and deeper into their season as well as conference play, the stakes get higher on coming away with victories to ensure they can get a spot in the CACC Tournament next month. For the Eagles, it has been tough sledding thus far as they have dropped their first six conference matches after losing game one to Goldey-Beacom College, 13-4 in five innings, and then allowing six unanswered runs in a 6-4 game two defeat.

THE BASICS

Post University 4, Goldey-Beacom College 13 (5 Innings)
 
Post University 4, Goldey-Beacom College 6

Post University (3-19, 0-6 CACC)

Goldey-Beacom College (15-18, 5-0 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: Post University 4, Goldey-Beacom College 13 (5 Innings)
The first five batters of the game would reach base for Goldey-Beacom via three straight singles, a walk, and an error leading to their first two runs of the inning against junior right-hander Alyssa Hughes. Sophomore infielder Rayna Pelcak's two-run single with the bases loaded and only one out made it a 4-0 game before freshman utility player Allysa Calabrese caught a line drive hit by junior outfielder Bri Snover and doubled the runner off first to end the inning.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the frame, Post would cut their deficit in half as senior catcher Julianna Cicala's single followed by the second home run of the season by senior infielder Lily Tomasiello made it a 4-2 lead for the Lightning after one. A one-out home run by junior infielder Bryn Bohmann extended Goldey-Beacom's edge to three runs in the third, 5-2, while senior pitcher Anna O'Shields set down the Eagles over the next four innings.
 
After allowing those two hits and two runs in the first, O'Shields would only allow one baserunner between the second and fourth innings while the Goldey-Beacom bats erupted in the fifth to the tune of eight runs to put them in mercy rule territory. Seven run-scoring singles and 10 total hits for the Lightning off of senior right-hander Maddison Caldwell, who relieved Hughes, gave Goldey-Beacom a 13-2 lead, needing just three outs to secure the game-one win.
 
Two errors and a sacrifice fly by senior shortstop Caitlin DeAngelis would get the Eagles two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but they would fall two short of extending the game as the eight-run mercy rule came into effect, ending the game with a 13-4 loss for Post.

Game 2: Post University 4, Goldey-Beacom College 6
Scoring opportunities would be plentiful for Post in the first few innings and after not being able to score on a first and second chance with nobody out in the first, a four-run second would do the trick to give the Eagles a commanding 4-0 lead. But it would not have been possible without freshman left-hander Devin Barnett working out of trouble. With the bases loaded and one out, Barnett escaped trouble by getting Snover to fly out and Friel to strike out.
 
From there, back-to-back two-out triples from junior infielder Brooke Dickenson and senior outfielder Carli Perruso gave Post their first run followed by an RBI single from graduate outfielder Samantha Riccardulli to extend the lead to two. Junior pitcher Morgan McLane would be knocked out of the game as DeAngelis lined a home run over the left field wall to complete the four-run frame for Post.
 
After Barnett allowed two runs in the third and the Eagles were unable to score after having second and third with one out in the third as well as the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth, Goldey-Beacom would find their way back into the game. With senior right-hander Jenny Riquelme in the game, Bohmann would plate the tying runs as a one-out single scored one and after a throwing error by senior outfielder Julia Maida, made it 4-4 all.
 
The Lightning would complete the comeback in the seventh as senior outfielder Hannah Davis led off with a triple followed by junior infielder Alex Lowry's go-ahead double that gave Goldey-Beacom their first lead of the game. Bohmann would proceed to reach base on a throwing error, scoring another run to make it 6-4 heading into Post's final at-bats.
 
After coming in relief in the fourth, O'Shields picked up where she left off in game one with four scoreless innings in which she had six strikeouts and only one hit allowed as she retired Post 1-2-3 in the seventh to secure the doubleheader sweep for the Lightning, 6-4.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Caitlin DeAngelis finished 3-for-7 with a two-run home run, three RBIs, and one run scored in the doubleheader – The home run was the 15^th of DeAngelis's career and first of the season
• Anna O'Shields earned the win in both games on the mound for Goldey-Beacom, allowing four runs (three earned) in nine total innings on three hits with 12 strikeouts and two walks to move to 11-5 on the year
• Post University is now 2-15 on the season when allowing the first run of the game while falling to 1-3 when scoring first
• Goldey-Beacom has now won four of the last five games against Post University in the all-time series since 2022

WHO'S NEXT
Post University remains at home for another doubleheader this Tuesday against the University of Bridgeport at LaMoy Field with game one scheduled for 2:00 PM. The Eagles have lost five straight games to the Purple Knights dating back to 2018 with their last win coming at home in game one of that doubleheader, 14-5, in five innings.