PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the first five innings, then held on to defeat N.J.I.T., 9-6 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Wednesday afternoon at Smith Field. The victory, which came in the Cougars' home opener, gives Caldwell a 7-10 overall record, including a 1-1 record in the conference. The Highlanders are now 8-8, 1-4 CACC.
N.J.I.T. started the game off with two runs in the top of the first, as Derek McCain and Rob Pietrocola each had RBIs. The Cougars answered with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Rich Gili (Manorville, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) led off the game with a single, advancing to third on an error and later scoring on a single by junior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester). After senior Landon Viessy (Oakland Gardens, NY/Cardozo) doubled, sending Ryan to third, junior Efrain Velazquez (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) scored the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Senior Nick Mauro (Nutley, NJ/Nutley), left, followed with a double to score Viessy and put the Cougars ahead 3-2.
Viessy and Velazquez each knocked home runs in the bottom of the second, and after the Highlanders scored a run in the top of the third, junior Eric Theiss (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) came home on an error in the bottom of the third to make the score 6-3. Then in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Nick Longo (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) doubled, scoring sophomore Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) and freshman Jorge Torres (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) for an 8-3 Cougar lead.
The long ball helped the Highlanders get back into the game, as Matt Schlitter homered in the sixth and McCain and Austin DeRogatis hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh to cut the Caldwell lead to 8-6. In the bottom of the eighth, N.J.I.T. loaded the bases with two out. But sophomore Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville), right, came on in relief and struck out DeRogatis to end the inning. The Cougars tallied an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Mauro's double plated Viessy for a 9-6 lead.
Starter Derek York (Lanoka Harbor, NJ/Lacey Twp.) went 4 2/3 innings and gave up six hits and two earned runs while striking out three to improve to 2-1. Seniors Michael Fillucco (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Lacey Twp.) and Anthony DeRogatis (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) also pitched in relief, with DeRogatis blanking the Highlanders over 1 2/3 innings.
The Cougars are back in action on Friday, Mar. 31, when they play at Philadelphia University in a CACC game beginning at 3:00 p.m.
