YAPHANK, N.Y. - The Caldwell College baseball team fell to Dowling College, 6-1 in a non-conference game Thursday afternoon at Baseball Heaven. The loss drops the Cougars, ranked fourth in the Northeast Region, to 4-2 on the season, while the Lions improve to 5-8.

Dowling scored three runs in the third inning, then put three more on the board on Chris Caputo's three-run double in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. Senior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester), pictured, led off the top of the sixth with a double, and later scored on a groundout by freshman Andrew Robertson (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) for the Cougars' only run. Caldwell threatened in the eighth inning, loading the bases with two out. But a strikeout stranded the three runners and ended the scoring chance. Caldwell left 12 runners on base in the game, including two more in the bottom of the ninth.

Sophomore starter Stephen Pfeil (Hampstead, NH/Pinherton Academy) took the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Freshman Raymond Keelan (Barnegat, NH/Southern Regional) had three hits and Ryan had two hits for the Cougars. Dowling pitcher Andrew Varella went six innings and gave up just four hits and one run to earn the victory.

The Cougars head to Tennessee to play three teams over spring break, beginning with Sunday's game at Lincoln Memorial College. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.