NEW CASTLE, Del. – The Caldwell University baseball team opened Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play with a pair of losses to Wilmington University, 14-1 and 11-1 Tuesday afternoon at Wilson Field. The Cougars fall to 2-11 overall and 0-2 in the conference, while the Wildcats improve to 11-6, 4-0 CACC.

Caldwell was held scoreless through seven innings of the first game, as Wilmington built an 11-0 lead. Sam Goines hit a three-run triple in a six-run fifth inning. In the top of the eighth, freshman Noah Clark (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) hit a two-out infield single with the bases loaded to plate freshman Paul Marinello (Freehold, NJ/Colts Neck) for the Cougars' lone run. The Wildcats added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score 14-1.

Senior pitcher Michael Sheridan (Caldwell, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) started and gave up seven runs in four innings. Junior Richard Evaniecki (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) had two of Caldwell's eight hits. Frank Samluk blanked the Cougars on four hits over six innings while also scoring three runs.

In the second game, senior Dominick Mangarella (East Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) put Caldwell ahead with a solo home run, the first of his collegiate career, in the top of the first. But that's all the offense the Cougars could muster, as five Wildcat pitchers gave up a total of three hits. Starter Tyler Newton went five innings and allowed a run on two hits in five innings. Jon Castro drove in three runs for Wilmington, while sophomore Michael Bernstein (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) and freshman Kevin Goldman (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central) had the other two hits for Caldwell.

The Cougars host Chestnut Hill College on Saturday, Mar. 28 in a CACC doubleheader. The first game starts at 12:00 p.m. at the Kiwanis Oval in Caldwell, N.J.