PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team scored eight runs in the final three innings to defeat Post University, 11-5 Thursday afternoon in the first home game of the season at Smith Field. Junior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) drove in three runs to help the Cougars improve to 11-6 on the season, including a 3-1 record in the conference. With the loss, the Eagles fall to 10-13, 2-2 CACC.
Post opened the game with three runs in the top of the first, with two runs scoring on RBI singles from Joe Proscia and Mike Padovani. The Cougars answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 3-3. Freshmen Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) and Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) both scored on wild pitches, while junior Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity), left, singled home Jorge Torres (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella). The tie didn't last long, as the Eagles pushed two more runs across in the top of the second for a 5-3 lead.
The score didn't change until the bottom of the sixth. Senior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester) led off the inning with a single, then came home along with freshman Raymond Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) on a two-run double by freshman Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac). With the game tied at 5-5, Murphy followed with a two-run single to put the Cougars up 7-5. Then in the seventh, Torres scored on an error, freshman Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) doubled home Keelan, and Murphy plated Chiarappa with a single for a 10-5 advantage. Junior Ryan Glasco (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset) brought home Ryan with a single in the bottom of the eighth that made the score 11-5.
Sophomore pitcher Eric Hines (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) came on in relief in the sixth inning and did not allow a hit over four innings of work. Himes, who fanned six while walking none, improved to 4-2 on the year. Post's Brenden Wyman gave up seven hits and seven runs, six earned, in six innings to drop to 3-1.
The Cougars host Dowling College on Monday, Apr. 9 in a non-conference game at Smith Field. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
