PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Caldwell College baseball team opened the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a split of a doubleheader against Philadelphia University Saturday afternoon at the Rams' Alumni Field. Philadelphia won the first game 4-1, then the Cougars exploded for 19 runs in a 19-12 win in the second game. The results give the Cougars a 5-9 record on the season, while the Rams are now 2-7. Sophomore Joe Doerrer (Middletown, NJ/Raritan) went 4-for-6 with six runs batted in to lead the Cougars to victory in Game 2.
Philadelphia began Game 1 with runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Caldwell made it a one-run game in the top of the fourth when freshman Anthony Morena (Westbury, NY/Holy Cross) singled home senior Miguel Perdomo (Teaneck, NJ/Bergen Catholic). But that's all the offense the Cougars could muster off Kevin McGovern, who allowed just three hits over the final five innings for a complete-game victory. Senior Thomas Forkin (Oceanside, NY/Holy Trinity) started on the mound for Caldwell, giving up four runs on six hits while walking four and striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings. Freshman Adolfo Lopez (Ontario, CA/Ontario) tallied two hits for the Cougars.
Trailing 8-7 after six innings in the second game, Caldwell scored six runs apiece in the seventh and ninth innings to pull away and earn the split. Senior Juan Pinero (Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus) doubled home two runs in the seventh, which saw Caldwell score six unearned runs. In the ninth, Doerrer led off with a double, scored on another two-run double by Pinero, then batted a second time and singled in Morena and Perdomo. Pinero and senior Andrew Robertson (Coral Springs, FL/ Taravella) had three hits apiece, while Perdomo and freshman Tom Todaro (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) each recorded two hits. Philadelphia's Tyler Mentzer homered twice and drove in seven runs.
The Cougars host Concordia College on Wednesday, Mar. 24 for a CACC doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. at Smith Field in Parsippany, N.J.
