MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Caldwell College baseball team scored 22 runs and belted 21 hits to open the 2007 season with a 22-9 victory over Molloy College Friday afternoon. Freshman outfielders Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) and Raymond Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) each had five hits in their first collegiate games to pace the Cougars, who were 18-25 a year ago.

After a scoreless first inning, Caldwell put three runs on the board in the second inning, including two on a single by freshman Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City). Molloy tied the game with three runs in the bottom half of the second, only to have the Cougars take a 4-3 lead with a run in the third. Run-scoring doubles by Saxon and senior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester) sparked a four-run fourth, followed by three more Molloy runs that made the score 8-6 Caldwell after four innings.

The Cougars broke open the game with 12 runs over the next three innings. Saxon hit a two-run single in the fifth and an RBI double in the sixth, while junior catcher Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) hit a run-scoring single in the fifth and an RBI double in the sixth. Velazquez hit his first collegiate home run in the top of the sixth, then Keelan smack his first career round-tripper in the top of the eighth.

Junior starter Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville), a first team all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selection in 2006, gave up six runs (four earned) and eight hits while striking out five in five innings to earn the victory.

The Cougars play a doubleheader against two different teams on Saturday, facing Dowling College at 3:00 p.m. and Mercy College at 6:00 p.m.