CALDWELL, N.J.- Senior Jon Gribbin (Westfield, NJ) and junior Chris Gehrsitz (Jackson, NJ) turned in strong outings on the mound to help lead the Caldwell University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep against Bloomfield College in their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener.

The Cougars took the opener 4-0 and completed the sweep with a 5-2 win in the nightcap. Caldwell improves their record to 5-4 and 2-0 in the CACC, while Bloomfield falls to 3-11 and 1-3 in conference play.

In the opener, junior Michael Bernstein (Staten Island, NY) went 2-for-4 with three RBI as he got the Cougars on the board in the first inning with an RBI single. In the third, Bernstein drove in another run with a groundout, while senior Dominick Orlando (Manalapan, NJ) put Caldwell up 3-0 with an RBI single.

Bernstein again came through in the clutch in the seventh as he drove in a run with a single to extend the lead to 4-0. Senior Mike LaTorraca (West Caldwell, NJ) went 2-for-4 in game one and scored a pair of runs for the Cougars.

Gribbin (2-0) scattered eight hits in the complete game effort, striking out five to earn the victory.

Pitching was again the story in the nightcap as Gehrsitz went eight strong innings in the win. LaTorraca led off the first inning with a single and eventually came around to score on a Bernstein single.

The Cougars got a big hit in the third inning as they dropped a three-spot with two outs. Junior Ryan Rivera (Saddle Brook, NJ) doubled with two outs and Bernstein followed with a walk. Orlando belted a fly ball and dinged off the foul pole for a three-run homerun to put the Cougars up 4-0.

Bloomfield got a run on the board in the fourth inning but the Cougars added to their lead in the fifth. Rivera singled with two outs and eventually came around to score on a Bernstein double. Bloomfield tacked on a run in the eight but the bullpen closed the door in the ninth.  

Gehrsitz (2-0) went eight innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and struck out three. Sophomore Christopher Cerf (Ramsey, NJ) and freshman Anthony Frascati (Bloomfield, NJ) combined to retire all three batters in the ninth as Frascati earned his first collegiate save.

Rivera went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Bernstein was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Orland was 2-for-4 with three RBI and the key homerun in the third inning.

The Cougars return to the diamond on Thursday, March 24 as they host Nyack College for a non-conference game at 3 pm.