INSTITUTE, W. Va. -- Senior shortstop Christian Rinick (Marlton, N.J.) had two hits in each game and senior 1B Chris Hopf (Middlesex, N.J.) and senior DH Jimmy Kurtz (Buena, N.J.) both homered in game two as Caldwell baseball opened its campaign with a pair of walkoff defeats at West Virginia State at Cal Bailey Field on Saturday, 6-5 and 12-11.

In the opener, CU took a 5-2 lead with a three-run third that included RBI hits by junior center fielder Jimmy Turchi (Bridgewater, N.J.), sophomore left fielder Reymundo Gonzalez (Kenilworth, N.J.) and sophomore second baseman Alan Hernandez (Boca Raton, Fla.). But WVSU chipped away with two in the fifth and single runs in the sixth and seventh to walk it off. 

Junior righty Vinny Sangataldo (Medford, N.J.) went a strong five innings in his Cougars debut, fanning five and walking just one.

In the nightcap, the Cougars built a 7-1 lead with four in the second frame, starting with back-to-back homers by Kurtz and Hopf. Senior catcher Chris Bayo (Miami) and Rinick also had RBI in the inning, and Bayo followed in the third with a bases-clearing, three-run double.

But the Yellow Jackets (3-7) rallied with nine runs in the fourth and fifth combined. 

Undaunted, Caldwell came back with two in the sixth, then took the lead in the top of the seventh and final frame on a sacrifice fly by freshman right fielder Izaiah Robinson (Franklin Twp., N.J.).

But a two-run, walk-off homer with two outs in the seventh gave WVSU the stinging win.

Junior lefty Patrick Tullo (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) was impressive in his Caldwell debut out of the bullpen, striking out three in two innings of work.

The Cougars and Yellow Jackets conclude the three-game set with a noon start on Sunday.