STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Junior shortstop Christan Rinick's (Marlton, N.J.) bunt single drove in the tiebreaking run in the top of the eight in the opener and junior DH Jimmy Kurtz's (Buena, N.J.) two-run triple in the fourth in the nightcap were the key blows as Caldwell baseball took two from Staten Island, 7-3 and 5-3, at SIUH Community Park. 

The two wins represent the first two in the collegiate career of first-year Head Coach Nick Luciano.

In the opener, scheduled for seven innings, the Cougars trailed, 3-1, entering the sixth, but scored when Kurtz scampered home on a wild pitch in the sixth, then got the equalizer when junior RF Stephen Young Jr. (Middlesex, N.J.) came in on a wild pitch to send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, after Kurtz walked, pinch runner freshman Reymundo Gonzalez (Kenilworth, N.J.) stole second and advanced to third on the errant pickoff throw. He later scored on Rinick's one-out single, before Young singled in another run and senior first baseman Liam James (Roseland, N.J.) brought in two more with a double. Graduate righthander Ben Foote (Elmer, N.J.) earned his first Caldwell win with three scoreless, one-hit innings of relief after senior righty Brandon Scalisi pitched effectively over the first five.

In the nightcap, the Cougars jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Dolphins (2-7), Kurtz's triple plating Brown and James for a 3-0 advantage and sophomore catcher Akkash Santiago (Toms River, N.J.) plated Kurtz with a sacrifice fly. The trio of sophomore righty John Rigas (Lincoln Park, N.J.) (1-0), freshman RHP Johnny Amato (Roselle Park, N.J.) and junior righty Ryan Silnik (Washington Twp., N.J.) (first save) combined on a three-hitter, fanning seven.

The Cougars (2-0) visit Molloy on Tuesday, then host Queens on Wednesday in their first home game of the year.