CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University baseball team earned its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep of the season in beating the University of the Sciences, 6-5 in 10 innings and 5-0 Monday at the Kiwanis Oval. The Cougars improve to 6-18 overall and 4-6 in league play, while the Devils drop to 2-22, 2-12 CACC.
In the first game, Caldwell took control with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior
Dominick Orlando (Manalapan, NJ/Holmdel) singled to score senior
Dominick Mangarella (East Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr), and the Cougars scored three runs on two errors to lead 4-0. After the Devils scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth, Orlando plated sophomore
Michael Bernstein (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) with a single for a 5-1 advantage. USciences scored twice in the top of the eighth, then loaded the bases in the ninth. A walk and a grounder allowed the Devils to tie the score at 5-5 and the game went into extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th, freshman
Noah Clark (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) led off with a double and moved to third on a bunt by freshman
Kevin Goldman (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central). After freshman
Paul Marinello (Freehold, NJ/Colts Neck) was intentionally walked, freshman
Charles Grade (Sterling Heights, MI/Sterling Heights) hit a sacrifice fly to right that brought home Clark for the game-winning run.
Senior pitcher
Robert Humes (Berlin, NJ/Winslow Twp.) started and allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out six and walking three in eight innings. Senior
Lucas Willenbrock (Amityville, NY/Amityville Memorial) pitched a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win.
In Game 2, sophomore
Ryan Rivera (Saddle Brook, NJ/St. Joseph) and Bernstein drove in runs in the bottom of the second for a 2-0 lead. The score remained the same until the eighth, when Orlando and Bernstein singled and came home on an error, and Clark scored on a fly ball from Marinello for a 5-0 advantage. Senior pitcher
Eric Bomenblit (Allenwood, NJ/Wall) did the rest, tossing a two-hit shutout while striking out 12 without a walk. Bernstein and Orlando delivered two hits apiece to spark the offense.
Caldwell plays a CACC doubleheader at Dominican College on Tuesday, Apr. 14. The first game starts at 3:00 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in Orangeburg, N.Y.
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