PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team won both games of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Felician College, 2-1 and 10-3 Wednesday afternoon at Smith Field. The victories give the Cougars an 8-13 record overall, including a 3-7 mark in league play. The Golden Falcons drop to 15-14, 5-5 CACC.
In the first game, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead on a run-scoring single by senior Jorge Torres (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) in the bottom of the third inning. Felician tied the game on a double by Mike Libretta in the top of the fourth. The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when junior Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) led off the inning with a walk-off home run to give the Cougars a 2-1 victory. It was Saxon's second home run of the season.
Junior right-hander Thomas Forkin (Oceanside, NY/Holy Trinity) turned in a dominating performance on the mound, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out five and walking three in a complete-game effort. Felician's Kevin Ernst also was solid, giving up three hits and a run in 7 1/3 innings.
The Cougar bats made sure the second game did not come down to their final at-bat. After surrendering a run in the top of the first, Caldwell responded with eight runs on seven hits in the bottom of the first. Juniors Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) and Juan Pinero (Bronx, NY/Columbus) each hit three-run home runs, junior Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island City) hit a solo shot and freshman Jorge Ynoa (Bayside, NY/Bayside) had a run-scoring single in the inning. Keelan, pictured, added a lead-off home run in the fourth, his fourth long ball of the season, and Saxon drove home junior Andrew Robertson (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) in the sixth for Caldwell's 10th run of the game.
Junior pitcher Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) did the rest, holding Felician to six hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out six and walking none. John Calise took the loss for Felician.
The Cougars play a non-conference game at Queens College on Thursday, Apr. 9. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.