YAPHANK, N.Y. - The Caldwell College baseball team lost a non-conference game to C.W. Post University, 7-4 Tuesday afternoon at Baseball Heaven. The defeat is the first of the season for the Cougars (4-1), who are ranked fourth in the latest NCBWA Northeast Region Poll. The Pioneers improve to 7-5 with the win.

Errors hurt the Cougars early, as C.W. Post scored six unearned runs in the first two innings on three Caldwell miscues. After scoring twice in the bottom of the first, the Pioneers loaded the bases in the second for Joe Mare, who hit a grand slam to left center for his first collegiate home run. A two-run single by freshman Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) got Caldwell on the scoreboard in the sixth, but the Pioneers added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 7-2.

The Cougars threatened in the eighth inning, when the first two batters were hit by pitches. Senior Efrain Velazquez (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) scored from second on a failed pickoff attempt by C.W. Post catcher Brian Anderson, then freshman Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) knocked home fellow frosh Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) with a double to center that made the score 7-4 Pioneers. But despite having Omar Velazquez on second with nobody out, Caldwell was unable to push more runs across as reliever Keith Karlsen struck out five of the final eight batters.

Omar Velazquez and senior catcher Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity), pictured, each had two hits for the Cougars. Sophomore right-hander Eric Hines (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) gave up six hits and six unearned runs in 5.0 innings for Caldwell, while the Pioneers' starter Bobby Kay fanned seven and allowed two runs on two hits in 7.0 innings for the win.

The Cougars return to action on Thursday, Mar. 15 with another regional game against Dowling College. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y.