QUEENS, N.Y. - Playing its first game in 17 days, the Caldwell College baseball team defeated Queens College, 4-1 in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon at Knights Field. Sophomore pitcher Robert Casal (Howard Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep), right, struck out 11 batters in six innings of work as the Cougars improved to 4-2 on the season. The loss dropped the Knights to 1-5.

After surrendering an unearned run in the first inning, the Cougars tied the score in the top of the third when freshman Juan Mejia (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) came home on a sacrifice fly by senior Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity). Then in the top of the seventh, sophomore Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) singled home freshman Gabriel Molina (Bronx, NY/Monroe) to put Caldwell on top 2-1. Senior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) followed with an RBI double that plated freshman Nick Questa (Boonton, NJ/Boonton) for a 3-1 lead. The Cougars tacked on another run in the eighth, when a pinch-hit double by sophomore Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) brought home sophomore Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City).

Murphy had three of the Cougars' 10 hits to lead Caldwell at the plate. Casal (2-1) allowed just three hits while walking three to earn his second win of the season. Junior right-hander Stephen Pfeil (Hampstead, NH/Pinherton Acad.) tossed three perfect innings in relief to earn the save. Pfeil, who fanned five of the nine batters he faced, struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

Caldwell plays at C.W. Post on Thursday, Mar. 13 in an important Northeast Region game. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Brookville, N.Y.