CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University baseball team fell to Chestnut Hill College, 6-5 and 2-0 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Kiwanis Oval. The results give the Cougars a 2-13 record on the season, including a 0-4 mark in the conference, while the Griffins improve to 12-5, 7-1 CACC.

In the first game, freshman Kevin Goldman (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central) singled home seniors Dominick Mangarella (East Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) and Anthony Caruso (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) for a 2-0 Caldwell lead. After Chestnut Hill scored a run in the top of the fourth, Caruso blasted his first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth to put the Cougars ahead, 3-1. The score remained 3-1 until the top of the eighth, when the Griffins put three runs on the board for a 5-3 lead. Mike McLaughlin hit a two-run single in the inning.

Chestnut Hill added a run in the top of the ninth, then the Cougars threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Goldman led off with a single, and freshman Noah Clark (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs. After a strikeout, freshman William Levier (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) singled to plate Goldman and sophomore Ryan Rivera (Saddle Brook, NJ/St. Joseph) drove home Clark with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-5. Levier moved into scoring position on a balk, but a shallow fly out to left field ended the game.

Senior right-hander Robert Humes (Berlin, NJ/Winslow Twp.) pitched well, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out six in seven innings. Dominic Raia earned the win, pitching eight innings and allowing three runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts.

The second game was a pitching dual between Caldwell senior Eric Bomenblit (Allenwood, NJ/Wall) and Chestnut Hill's Zachary Crim. With the game scoreless through four innings, the Griffins broke through with a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Preston Koehler. Chestnut Hill added an insurance run in the ninth, as Brandon DiBona was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Bomenblit gave up one run on just four hits while striking out 10 batters in 7 2/3 innings in a solid outing on the mound. Crim limited Caldwell to five hits and fanned seven while walking two in a complete-game shutout. Rivera had two of the Cougars' hits and Caruso hit a double in the sixth.

Caldwell plays a non-conference game at Molloy College on Tuesday, Mar. 31, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Rockville Centre, N.Y.