WEST CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team lost a pair of Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games to Dominican College, losing the first game 12-4 and falling 3-2 in 11 innings in Game 2 Saturday afternoon at Caldwell High School. The results mark the first time the Cougars (15-17 overall, 11-6 CACC) have been swept in a conference doubleheader this season. The wins allow the Chargers to move into second place in the league standings with a 12-5 CACC record (21-15 overall).
In Game 1, Dominican used an eight-run fifth inning to break open a tight game and cruise to a 12-4 victory. Tony Blake and Xavier Bonilla each had three hits and three runs batted in for Dominican, which pounded out 20 hits in the game. The Chargers' Dave Bartuska held Caldwell to one run on six hits while fanning 10 in seven innings to improve to 5-1. Senior Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Cougars.
In the second game, Dominican scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Caldwell answered in the bottom of the fifth, when sophomore Joe Doerrer (Middletown, NJ/Raritan), pictured, tripled home Tom Todaro (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) and scored on an error to tie the game at 2-2. The game remained deadlocked through nine frames, sending the contest to extra innings. Caldwell put runners on first and third in the bottom of the 10th but could not score.
In the top of the 11th, Dominican had runners on first and second with two outs when Mario Lopez hit a fly ball that was dropped, allowing Dan Robinson to score the go-ahead run. With Caldwell needing a run to extend the game, senior Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) led off the bottom of the 11th with a double. Freshman Adolfo Lopez (Ontario, CA/Ontario) moved pinch runner Buddy Riggs (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) to third with a bunt. But reliever Todd Craig struck out the next batter and induced a fly ball that ended the game.
Caldwell starter A.J. Boardman (Sunnyside, NY/St. Francis Prep) pitched a strong game, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking three in 8 1/3 innings. Sophomore Matt Cook (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) absorbed the loss after giving up two hits and striking out four in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Craig earned the win with four innings of scoreless relief.
Caldwell is scheduled to host Queens College in a non-conference game on Sunday, Apr. 25, beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Smith Field in Parsippany, N.J. The Cougars also will resume a suspended game with Concordia College on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Smith Field.
