LYNDHURST, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team split a doubleheader with Bloomfield College, losing 10-4 before winning the second game 10-2 in the first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action of the season for Caldwell Saturday afternoon at Breslin Field. Freshman Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) went 4 for 4 to help the Cougars win the second game and improve to 9-6 in the season. The Deacons are now 8-14 overall and 1-2 in the CACC.

Bloomfield put three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning to take control early. The Cougars answered in the third, when freshman Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) hit a two-run single, then later scored on an error to tie the game at 3-3. But in the bottom of the fifth, five Caldwell errors aided the Deacons' seven-run inning that put Bloomfield ahead 10-3. The Cougars managed one run in the top of the ninth on an RBI triple from freshman Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) for the final run of the game.

Saxon, Velazquez and senior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester) each had two hits in the game for Caldwell, while sophomore Stephen Pfeil (Hampstead, NH/Pinherton Academy) allowed seven unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief to take the loss. Bloomfield's Ricky Maldonado earned the victory, giving up five hits and an unearned run in five innings of relief.

Velazquez got things started in the right direction for the Cougars in Game 2, hitting an inside-the-park home run to lead off the game. The Deacons came back in the bottom of the first with two runs, including an RBI single by Eric Tanis, that put Bloomfield up 2-1.A run-scoring single by freshman Raymond Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) in the top of the third tied the game at 2-2. The Cougars took the lead for good in the top of the fifth, when a triple by sophomore Jorge Torres (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) plated Ryan. Keelan also knocked home a run in the inning for a 4-2 lead.

Two more runs in the top of the sixth, including an RBI single from Ryan, made the score 6-2. Hilgenberg doubled home Keelan in the top of the seventh, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Velazquez for an 8-2 advantage. Caldwell put two more runs on the board via another sacrifice fly from Velazquez and an RBI single by junior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) in the top of the ninth completed the scoring.

Sophomore Eric Hines (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) improved to 3-2 on the year after recording nine strikeouts while allowing nine hits and two runs in eight innings of work. Joseph O'Donnell, who started the game for Bloomfield, took the loss.

Caldwell returns to action on Tuesday, Apr. 3 for a CACC doubleheader against Felician College at Breslin Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.