BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - The Caldwell College baseball team scored two runs in the top of the ninth to beat C.W. Post, 5-4 Thursday afternoon at the C.W. Post Baseball Field. Sophomore outfielder Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth. The Cougars, who trailed 4-2 heading into the eight inning, won its fifth straight game to improve to 5-2 on the season. The result ended a three-game winning streak for the Pioneers (5-8).
C.W. Post took an early 1-0 lead on Kyle Walker's RBI double in the bottom of the first. The Cougars tied the game in the top of the third on a groundout by senior Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity), only to have the Pioneers regain the lead in the bottom-half of the third. Caldwell tied the game again in the top of the fourth, when sophomore Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) homered to lead off the inning. Then in the bottom of the fifth, Walker doubled home a run, then later scored on an error to give the Pioneers a 4-2 lead.
Caldwell's comeback started in the top of the eighth, when a single by freshman Gabriel Molina (Bronx, NJ/Monroe) plated Keelan to make the score 4-3 in favor of C.W. Post. With one out in the top of the ninth, sophomore Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) singled, followed by a double from senior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville). After Irwin scored and Murphy advanced to third on a grounder by Chiarappa, Saxon hit a fly ball to centerfield that was deep enough to score Murphy for the go-ahead run. The Pioneers put runners on first and third with two out in the bottom of the ninth, but sophomore pitcher Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) got Brian Anderson to line out to the shortstop and end the game.
Riggs, right, worked four innings of scoreless relief to earn his first victory of the season. He has yet to allow a run in nine innings this season. Murphy started the game and allowed five hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out four in five innings. Keith Carlson fanned 11 in seven innings for the Pioneers.
The Cougars head to Tennessee to play six games, beginning with a doubleheader at Tusculum College on Sunday, Mar. 16.
