CALDWELL, N.J. -- Offense was in plentiful supply at Kiwanis Oval on Sunday as Caldwell and Chestnut Hill exchanged big innings, timely hits and a bit of daring baserunning. The result? A pair of high-scoring, one-run games that went down to the wire and a split of the CACC inter-divisional doubleheader, Chestnut Hill rallying to take the opener, 11-10, and the Cougars holding on to win the nightcap, 8-7.

In the opener, junior 1B Liam James (Roseland, N.J.) went three for three, driving in one and scoring two. His RBI single in the fifth gave the Cougars an 8-7 lead, followed by a two-run hit by senior LF Noah Putney (Glassboro, N.J.) extended it to 10-7. But the Griffins (9-22, 3-9 CACC) scored two in the sixth and two more with two outs in the seventh and final frame.

Junior SS Sean Brown (West Orange, N.J.), senior RF Zach Saunders (Adelphi, Md.), Putney and junior CF Liam Lombardi (Stony Point, N.Y.) had two hits each in game one.

In the nightcap, the Cougars built an early lead on a long two-run home run by Saunders to dead center field, a two-run double by Putney and home run by James for a 5-0 advantage after three. Caldwell (7-13, 6-6) built the lead to 8-1, a two-run triple by sophomore second baseman Stephen Young Jr. (Middlesex, N.J.) providing most of the damage.

The Griffins battled back in the seventh and final inning, closing to 8-5 and moving the tying run to the plate. A dropped pop fly turned into an exciting play at the plate, the runner on first thrown out by Brown for the final out of the game.

Sophomore righthander Brandon Scalisi (New City, N.Y) was dominant over the first six, before allowing three hits and retiring two batters, with another reaching on an error. Senior righthander Nikko Matos (Roselle Park, N.J.) got the final out for his second save. 

The Cougars visit Bloomfield on Tuesday at noon at noon at Newark's West Side Park.