NEW CASTLE, Del. - The Caldwell College baseball team snapped a four-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over Wilmington University in the first game of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Monday afternoon at Wilson Field. The Cougars, who lost the second game, 6-4, are now 5-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play, while the Wildcats are13-12, 4-2 CACC.

Caldwell scored all three of its runs in Game 1 on home runs. Junior Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) followed a lead-off single by junior Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) with a two-run shot in the top of the first. Then in the third, junior Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) blasted his first homer of the season to put the Cougars ahead 3-0. Junior right-hander Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella), pictured, did the rest, striking out 15 batters while holding the Wildcats to just four hits and one unearned run in a complete-game effort. The performance gives Riggs a 2-1 record on the season. Joe Harris (2-3) took the loss for Wilmington.

In Game 2, the Cougars again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, sparked by a run-scoring single from Keelan. After the Wildcats got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth, Velazquez scored an unearned run for a 3-1 lead. Wilmington scored another run in the bottom of the fifth, only to have junior Jon Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) single home junior Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) in the top of the sixth for a 4-2 Cougar advantage. But things fell apart for Caldwell in the bottom of the sixth, as Wilmington scored four runs on five hits and two errors to take a 6-4 lead. Cody Holliday, Drew Anusky and Jordan Oncay each drove in runs for the Wildcats. The Cougars put runners on second and third with two out in the top of the seventh, but Phil Aviola retired the final two batters to end the game.

Junior Robert Casal (Howard Beach, NJ/St. Francis Prep) pitched five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out six. Freshman Matt Cook (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) came on in relief and took the loss to fall to 1-2. Anthony Cimabue (2-0) retired two batters and earned the win, while Aviola earned the save.

The Cougars play at Post University in a CACC match-up on Tuesday, Mar. 31. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in Waterbury, Conn.