CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team lost a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game to Post University, 4-2, despite 15 strikeouts by junior pitcher Matt Cook (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) Wednesday afternoon at the Kiwanis Oval. The game was supposed to be the first of two before rain forced the postponement of the second game. The result drops the Cougars to 11-15 overall and 6-5 in league play, while the Eagles improve to 13-7, 4-1 CACC.
Cook struck out the first four Post batters before Aaron Lerma blasted a home run over the left-centerfield fence for a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth, when the Eagles hit three straight singles, and Todd Blair came home on a wild pitch for Post's second run of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Caldwell loaded the bases on an error, a walk and a single by junior Jorge Ynoa (Bayside, NY/Bayside). Senior Juan Mejia (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) followed with a single to plate freshman Stephen Luczaj (N. Merrick, NY/Mepham). With the bases still loaded and one out, Post pitcher Tom Sirois struck out the next two batters to end the inning and the threat.
In the top of the seventh, Brendan Barry singled in a run to put the Eagles ahead 3-1. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the seventh, as freshman Joe O'Donnell (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Luczaj to make the score 3-2 Post. The Eagles added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run by James Wong. Caldwell put runners at first and third in the bottom of the ninth but were unable to bring either runner home.
Cook, pictured, lasted seven innings, striking out a career-high 15 batters while allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks. Sirois, who did not allow a hit over the first 5 1/3 innings, gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits while walking two and striking out 10 in six innings.
The Cougars will host The University of the Sciences in a CACC doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 9. The first game is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Kiwanis Oval.
