ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - Freshmen Edgar Santos (Woodside, NY/Bryant), left, and Gabriel Molina (Bronx, NY/Monroe) drove in three runs apiece as the Caldwell College baseball team defeated St. Thomas Aquinas College, 10-4 in a non-conference game at The Vet Wednesday afternoon. The Cougars picked up an important regional win to improve to 19-13 on the season, while the Spartans drop to 17-18.

After St. Thomas Aquinas took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first, the Cougars recorded two-run innings in the third and fourth to lead 4-1. Molina hit a single that scored sophomores Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) and Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) in the third. Then in the fourth, sophomores Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) hit back-to-back doubles for one run, and Saxon singled home Irwin for another to put the Cougars ahead 4-1.

But the Spartans tied the game with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth that made the score 4-4. Caldwell answered in the sixth, when Velazquez hit his second double of the game to plate Santos for a 5-4 lead. The Cougars broke the game open with five runs in the top of the eighth, with Santos hitting a bases-loaded, three-run double. Molina also drew a bases-loaded walk for his third RBI of the game.

Sophomore pitchers Thomas Forkin (Oceanside, NY/Holy Trinity), Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) and Velazquez combined to pitch five scoreless innings to wrap up the win. Forkin (2-1) earned the decision after allowing one hit and striking out four in 2 2/3 innings of work. Scott Sadowski took the loss after giving up five runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Velazquez finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles, while Saxon, Santos, Irwin and junior Aaron Hoffstatter (Glasco, NY/Saugerties) each had two hits.

The Cougars host the University of the Sciences on Thursday, Apr. 17 for a CACC contest. The game starts at 2:30 p.m. at Smith Field in Parsippany, N.J.