OFFICIAL PHOTO GALLERY OF 2017 CACC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

LAKEWOOD, N.J. (May 7, 2017) -- The Caldwell University softball team exploded for a combined nine runs over the third and fourth innings to break a 3-3 tie and carry it to a 12-3 win in the 2017 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Final at the GCU Softball Field No. 1 in Lakewood, N.J. on Sunday With the win, the Cougars (44-13) earned the CACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Softball East Region Tournament.

Jessie Johnston and Christina Misiur each knocked in three runs to lead Caldwell's lineup, while Kiahna Silva chipped in with a pair of RBI as well. Sydney Ponto struck out six in the pitching circle and yielded just one earned run in a complete-game effort to capture most valuable player honors in the 2017 tournament.

Silva singled in a run in the third inning to kickstart the barrage and Caldwell tacked on a two more runs in the frame on a PhilaU error. In the fourth, Johnston drove home a pair with a single to center field, while Misiur followed later in the inning with a pinch-hit, three-run homer.

Caldwell found itself trailing, 3-2, following the top of the second inning, as the Rams scored three times to go on top. Megan Letos tripled home Courtney Wensel, while later in the frame Naomi Stas logged an infield single to score Shannon Weaver.

The Cougars, though, rallied in the bottom half of the inning as Katelyn Johnson homered to center to knot the score at 3-all.

Stephanie Pepper took the loss in the pitching circle for the Rams, as she yielded 11 runs (only four earned though due to 3 PhilaU errors) in 3.2 innings of work.

2017 CACC SOFTBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Jeannette Roldan (Felician University)
Jazmeen Llamas (Wilmington University)
Kylie Doyle (Goldey-Beacom College)
Erica Ragazzone (Post University)
Jennifer Paride (Dominican College)
Taylor Daniels (Dominican College)
Taylor Favinger (Holy Family University)
Koreen Orozco (Holy Family University)
Naomi Stas (Philadelphia University)
Stephanie Pepper (Philadelphia University)
Monica Levins (Philadelphia University)
Marisa Monasseri (Caldwell University)
Sydney Ponto (Caldwell University)
Carly Testa (Caldwell University)
Kiahna Silva (Caldwell University)
MVP: Sydney Ponto (Caldwell University)

ABOUT THE CACC
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Nyack College, Philadelphia University, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.