GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Adelphi University to defeat the Caldwell College baseball team, 7-6 in a non-conference game Monday afternoon at William J. Bonomo Field. The Cougars, who scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take a 6-5 lead, fall to 8-12 on the season. The Panthers, ranked first in the latest NCBWA East Region Poll, improve to 18-6.

Trailing 2-0, Caldwell scored three times in the top of the fifth. Junior Juan Mejia (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) led off the inning with a home run, the first of his career. After the Cougars loaded the bases, sophomore Jorge Ynoa (Bayside, NY/Bayside) hit a two-run single for a 3-2 lead. But Adelphi regained the upper hand with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of sacrifice flies. The score remained 5-3 Adelphi until the top of the ninth. After senior Juan Pinero (Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus) drew a one-out walk, senior Ray Keelan (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) hit his third home run of the season to tie the game at 5-5. The next batter, senior Doug Hilgenberg (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central), stepped up and blasted a solo home run to put the Cougars on top 6-5. It was Hilgenberg's first home run of the season and 10th of his career.

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, Justin Ciamillo tied the game with a home run. Mirroring the Cougars' back-to-back feat in the top of the inning, Chris Weidlein followed with a solo shot of his own to end the game.

Keelan (pictured), who had pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before the homers, took the loss for Caldwell. Sophomore Matt Cook (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) started and gave up five runs, four earned, on three hits and three walks while fanning one in 5 2/3 innings. Keelan, Ynoa and Mejia each had two hits in the loss for the Cougars. Adelphi's Dillon McNamara earned his first decision after recording two outs in the top of the ninth.

Caldwell will play a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Post University on Wednesday, Apr. 7 at Smith Field in Parsippany, N.J. The games were originally scheduled to be played at Post but were moved to Smith and will be Caldwell's first home games of the season. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.