Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CARY, N.C. – The Caldwell College baseball team lost a pair of games to open play Saturday at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Cougars fell to Pace University, 3-1 and Merrimack College, 10-2 to drop to 1-7 on the season.

Against Pace, Caldwell got on the scoreboard first with an RBI single from senior Stephen Luczaj (N. Merrick, NY/Mepham) that plated junior Anthony Caruso (Babylon, NY/North Babylon) in the top of the fourth inning. A two-run double by James Pjura in the bottom of the fifth put the Setters on top, 2-1. Pace added a run in the seventh while holding the Cougars to just one hit after the fifth inning to close out the win.

Junior pitcher Michael Sheridan (Caldwell, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) started and allowed two runs on eight hits in five innings of work. Senior Joe O'Donnell (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) led the offense with two hits.

Things started well for Caldwell against Merrimack, as senior Paul Nyitray (Cranford, NJ/St. Joseph) led off the game with a triple and scored when Luczaj followed with a single for a 1-0 lead. But the Warriors answered with four runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the second to lead 6-1. The Cougars scored a run in the top of the third, when senior Andrew Nunez (East Elmhurst, NY/Cardozo) doubled, then scored on a single by senior Stephen Dodd (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley).

Caldwell managed just one hit after the third inning, as Merrimack beat the Cougars for the second time this season. Nunez had two of Caldwell's six hits in the loss.

The Cougars face Southern New Hampshire University on Sunday, Mar. 16 at 3:00 p.m. in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.