BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - The Caldwell College baseball team lost a non-conference game to C.W. Post, 5-2 Wednesday afternoon at the C.W. Post Baseball Field. With the loss, the Cougars drop to 1-3 on the season, while the Pioneers pick up their first win to improve to 1-9.
Caldwell got off to a quick start with a run in the top of the first. Junior outfielder Joe Doerrer (Middletown, NJ/Raritan) singled, stole second and came home on a single by junior outfielder Jorge Ynoa (Bayside, NY/Bayside) for a 1-0 lead. The lead held until the bottom of the fourth, when the Pioneers scored three times, including a two-run triple by Kevin Chenicek, to lead 3-1. Then in the bottom of the sixth, C.W. Post took advantage of an error and a wild pitch to score a pair of runs and take a 5-1 advantage.
Caldwell had thoughts of a comeback in the top of the eighth, as freshman second-baseman Paul Nyitray (Cranford, NJ/St. Joseph) led off with a single, then moved to third on a double by Doerrer. After Pioneers' pitcher Bo Budkevics induced a pop-up to second, senior first-baseman Juan Mejia (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) plated Nyitray with a grounder to cut the deficit to 5-2. But Budkevics stranded Doerrer at third with another groundout to end the Cougars' threat. Glen Hudson pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save and close out the win.
Nyitray, Doerrer, Ynoa (pictured) and Mejia, who were Caldwell's first four batters in the lineup, each recorded two hits to account for all eight of the Cougars' hits on the day. Freshman right-hander Chris DeRogatis (N. Arlington, NJ/Queen of Peace) allowed nine hits and five runs, four earned, in 5 1/3 innings in his first collegiate start. Budkevics improved to 1-2 after giving up eight hits and striking out seven in eight innings of work. Chenicek had two hits and scored two runs to pace the Pioneer offense.
Caldwell heads to Florida for nine games during spring break, starting with games against Pace University and St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday, Mar. 12 at the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla.
