PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Caldwell College baseball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Philadelphia University, losing 5-4 before winning 9-4 Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. Sophomore Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional), right, had five hits on the day, and sophomore Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) hit a grand slam in the second game. The Cougars are now 17-13 overall and 11-6 in the conference, while the Rams finished the day 7-15 overall, 6-3 CACC.
Caldwell jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first game with two runs in the second and two in the third. Sophomore Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) tripled in a run and later scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) in the second inning. Then in the top of the third, junior Aaron Hoffstatter (Glasco, NY/Saugerties) and freshman Edgar Santos (Woodside, NY/Bryant) drove in runs to put the Cougars on top 4-0. The Rams scored one run in the third and two more in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3. In the top of the sixth with two out and runners on second and third, Devin Conroy doubled, scoring two runs for a 5-4 Philadelphia lead. Caldwell put a runner on second with one out in the seventh, but Irwin's lineout to short resulted in a double play to end the game.
Junior Stephen Pfeil (Hampstead, NH/Pinherton Acad.) allowed five runs, one earned, on seven hits while fanning 10 and walking three in 5 2/3 innings to fall to 3-3 on the season. Philadelphia reliever Andrew Bednarek earned the win. Keelan, Saxon and Irwin each had two hits for Caldwell.
The Cougars again took an early lead in the second game, scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the first. In the top of the second, Philadelphia walked two batters and hit another to load the bases for Saxon, who belted a grand slam for his fifth homer of the season and a 5-0 Cougar lead. After the Rams scored a run in the bottom of the second, Velazquez hit a two-run double in the top of the third to put Caldwell on top 7-1. Senior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) singled in a run as part of a two-run fourth inning for a 9-1 lead. The Rams answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 9-4.
Sophomore pitcher Thomas Forkin (Oceanside, NY/Holy Trinity) earned his first career victory, allowing two earned runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Sophomore Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) did not allow a hit in 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Keelan went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the game.
The Cougars host C.W. Post in a non-conference game on Monday, Apr. 14, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Smith Field.
