WATERBURY, Conn. - The Caldwell College baseball team scored eight runs in the top of the seventh inning for a come-from-behind 14-10 victory over Post University in the second game of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. The win gave the Cougars (13-14 overall, 7-3 CACC), who wonthe first game 4-0, a three-game sweep of the season series with the Eagles (1-26-1, 0-12) and stretched their winning streak to four games.
In the first game, the Cougars scored the only run they would need in the fourth inning, when senior Fadul Bambino (Astoria, NY/Queensborough CC) scored on an error. Caldwell extended its lead in the top of the seventh, when junior Nick Mauro (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) (pictured) singled home sophomore Andy Chunn (Lewes, DE/Cape Henlopen), who led off the inning with a double. After freshman Shaun Hanrahan (West Keansburg, NJ/Raritan) reached on an error and with freshman Joe Hydro (Flemington, NJ/Immaculata) pinch-running for Mauro, sophomore Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester) singled, scoring both Hanrahan and Hydro for the final runs of the game. Ryan went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in for the game.
Freshman Eric Hines (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) went the distance on the mound for the Cougars, allowing seven hits and no walks with one strikeout in seven shutout innings. It was the second shutout for Hines (4-2) in just five starts as a collegian.
The bats woke up in both dugouts for the second game, as the teams combined for 24 runs and 22 hits. The Eagles struck for three runs in the first inning to take an early lead before Caldwell put five runs on the board in the top of the third. But the lead wouldn't last long, as Post scored three more runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Eagles. In the top of the sixth, senior Mike Kolesar (New City, NY/Clarkstown North) walked, stole second base, then stole third before scoring on Bambino's sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 6-6. But again the Eagles would answer, scoring four runs on three hits in the top of the sixth to take a 10-6 lead.
Needing at least four runs to extend the game in their final at-bat, the Cougars took advantage of three walks and two errors to score eight runs in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Americo Eaderesto (Manorville, NY/Center Moriches) knocked in a pair of runs with a single, while Mauro, Kolesar, Bambino and senior Joe Catenacci (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) each had an RBI in the inning.
Junior Anthony DeRogatis (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) recorded a 1-2-3 seventh inning, including a pair of strikeouts, to clinch the victory. Junior Travis Muessig (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) earned his first win of the season by striking out two batters while working 2/3 of an inning.
The Cougars return to action on Monday, Apr. 18, when they complete a game with Nyack College that was suspended due to darkness in the fifth inning with Caldwell leading 7-1. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. at Smith Field.
