CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University baseball team won both games of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Philadelphia University, 3-1 and 6-3 Saturday afternoon at the Kiwanis Oval. The two conference wins give the Cougars (10-21) a 7-9 record in CACC play, while the Rams drop to 12-18, 5-12 CACC.
In the first game, Philadelphia scored an unearned run in the top of the second inning for a 1-0 lead. The score held until the bottom of the sixth, when sophomore
Michael Bernstein (Staten Island, NY/Susan Wagner) singled home sophomore
Ryan Rivera (Saddle Brook, NJ/St. Joseph) to tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the seventh, Rivera put the Cougars on top, 3-1 with a double that brought home freshman
Paul Marinello (Freehold, NJ/Colts Neck) and freshman
Charles Grade (Sterling Heights, MI/Sterling Heights).
Senior pitcher
Robert Humes (Berlin, NJ/Winslow Twp.) kept the Rams off balance all day, limiting Philadelphia to an unearned run on four hits in a complete-game effort. He also struck out six to improve to 3-0 on the season. Rivera and freshman
Kevin Goldman (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central) registered two hits apiece.
Caldwell struck first in Game 2 with two runs in the bottom of the first. Bernstein doubled home Marinello and then scored on a single by senior
Dominick Mangarella (East Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) for a 2-0 advantage. Philadelphia scored single runs in the second and third innings to tie the score at 2-2. In the bottom of the third, Rivera tripled to left centerfield, scoring Marinello. Mangarella hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Rivera for a 4-2 lead. After the Rams scored a run in the top of the seventh inning, a single by freshman
William Levier (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) plated freshman
Noah Clark (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) to regain the two-run lead. Bernstein singled home Rivera in the eighth to make the score 6-3 Caldwell.
Senior pitcher
Eric Bomenblit (Allenwood, NJ/Wall) allowed three runs on eight hits while fanning five and walking two in eight innings of work. Senior
Lucas Willenbrock (Amityville, NY/Amityville Memorial) came on in the ninth with two runners on and got two groundouts and a strikeout for the save. Marinello, Rivera, Bernstein, Levier and freshman
Justin Jeannette (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) each had two hits in the victory.
The Cougars host a CACC doubleheader on Wednesday, Apr. 22 against Felician College. The first game starts at 3:00 p.m. at the Kiwanis Oval.