Softball Spotlight: Brown's Home Run Lifts Devils to Win over Caldwell Saturday, April 14, 2007 By Bob Heller USIP Sports Information Director Brittany Brown's solo walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the University of the Sciences women's softball team to a 6-5 win in the opening game of this afternoon's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against nationally ranked Caldwell College at McNeill Field in Philadelphia. The Cougars, ranked 12th in the most recent coaches’ poll, salvaged a split with a 5-0 win over the Devils in game two. The win was the Devils first ever victory over Caldwell. USP had been 0-14 going back to the year 2000. The Devils record with the split is now 9-17 overall and 6-6 in league play. Caldwell fell to 20-8 overall and 10-4 in league play. Leading off the eighth inning, Brown (Fr., Cherokee HS/ Marlton, N.J.) to a 2-2 pitch from losing pitcher Nicole Webb (9-6) and promptly put it over the left centerfield fence to end the game and give the Devils the 6-5 win in extra innings. The home run was Brown's first of the season and her only hit of the game. Rachel Morgan (Fr., Clackamas HS/ Clackamas, Ore.) got the win, going the distance, giving up nine hits while striking out seven and not issuing a single walk. Carolynn Snavely (Jr., Prescott HS/ Prescott, Ariz.) went 3-for-3 with three RBI while Megan Trimble (Sr., Coatesville Area HS/Coatesville, Pa.) had a double in her only official at-bat to drive in two runs for the Devils. Sarina Lavooy (Sr., Vernon Township HS/Sussex, N.J.) also had two hits in the game. Stacy Falkowski and Alyssa Speno had two hits apiece for the Cougars in the opener. Stephanie Brodo hit a solo home run and had two RBI in the game while Falkowski also drove in two for the Cougars. Webb struck out 10 and gave up 10 hits while walking two. Caldwell struck first with four runs in the third inning. Carrie Flasphaler led off with a double and later scored on Brodo's infield groundout. Jackie Velardi later drove in Nicole Bodrog with a single and Falkowski added a two-out two-RBI single to make the score 4-0. The Devils chipped away at the lead, getting three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bethanne Bossert (Fr., St. Hubert's HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) delivered a one-out single through the left side of the infield followed by a single by Lavooy and a walk to Trimble to load the bases. Snavely then delivered her team leading seventh double of the season to clear the bases and pull the Devils within one 4-3. One inning later, the Devils took their first lead of the game. Annie Abbate (Fr., St. John Villa Academy/ Brooklyn, N.Y.) was a one-out base-runner with a single up the middle. Bossert then hit a routine grounder to first base which went through Brittany Frantellizzi's legs for an error as Abbate moved to second. After Sarina Lavooy struck out, Trimble delivered a two-out double to right center field to score both Abbate and Bossert. Trimble was out at third on a questionable call to end the inning, but the Devils had taken a 5-4 lead. The Cougars quickly tied the game up in the top of the seventh as Brodo took the first pitch from Morgan and put it over the left centerfield fence for a home run and a tie game 5-5. Morgan then got the next three batters out to end the inning. After the Devils failed to score in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings, Morgan pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Brown led of the bottom of the eighth with the home run to win it for the Devils. In the nightcap, Kristen dela Campa (7-1) pitched a two-hit shutout as the Cougars salvaged a split with the Devils by winning 5-0. Brown (a double) and Laura Hamilton (So., Cardinal O'Hara/ Havertown, Pa.) (single) had the only hits for USP. Laura Flint (Sr., Interlake HS/Duvall, Wash.) took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season. Flint allowed 11 hits wile walking four, hitting three batters and striking out three in a complete game effort. Falkowski had two hits including a solo home run. Speno went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Kyrie Timbrook delivered a pinch hit single to drive in two runs late in the game. Bodrog and Desiree Wilson also had two hits for the Cougars. Caldwell got on the board in their first at-bat taking advantage of two walks to load the bases and a bases loaded hit batter to force home a run. Falkowski's home run in the fifth made the score 2-0 and three batters later the Cougars had the bases load for Timbrook who singled to centerfield to score two runs and make the score 4-0. The second of two double plays turned by USP saved the Devils from further damage. Caldwell added an insurance run in the fifth as dela Campa shut the Devils down in order in the final three innings to preserve the 5-0 win.