WILMINGTON, Del. - A six-run fourth inning propelled Wilmington College past the Caldwell College baseball team, 10-7 in the championship game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Saturday afternoon at Frawley Stadium. The victory gives the second-seeded Wildcats (29-18) their first CACC baseball tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Tournament, which begins on Thursday, May 17. The Cougars (24-13), who captured the CACC regular-season crown, will learn if they will receive an at-large bid to the regional when the field is announced Sunday evening.
With Caldwell leading 3-2, Wilmington's Andy Chunn hit a three-run home run and Jason Rust hit a two-run homer in a six-run fourth inning that gave the Wildcats an 8-3 lead. The Cougars scored a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by freshman Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac). But two more Wilmington runs in the top of the sixth made it a 10-4 game in favor of the Wildcats. Junior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) doubled home freshman Andrew Robertson (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) in the bottom of the sixth, freshman Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) came home on a grounder by junior Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) in the seventh, and Chiarappa's double in the ninth plated Saxon to cut the deficit to 10-7. But with runners on second and third an two out, reliever Bill Cecconi induced a groundout to end the game.
After the Wildcats opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second, Caldwell responded with three runs in the bottom-half of the inning. Singles by Saxon and senior Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester) put runners on first and third for senior Efrain Velazquez (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.), whose bunt single scored Saxon to tie the game at 1-1. On the next play, Ryan stole third base and came home when the catcher's throw was off the mark. Robertson plated Velazquez, right, with a sacrifice fly to put Caldwell up 3-1.
Saxon and Ryan each had three hits in the game, while Chiarappa recorded two hits and two RBIs. Freshman Raymond Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) started the game on the mound for the Cougars and lasted three innings to take the loss. Wilmington's Jimmy Okoniewski pitched five innings of relief to earn the victory.
Saxon, Murphy and freshman pitcher Robert Casal (Howard Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep) were named to the all-Tournament team.
The Cougars, who have played in four of the last six CACC Tournament finals, hope to advance to their second NCAA Regional Tournament when the field is announced Sunday evening.
