PHILADELPHIA -- Senior righthander John Rigas (Lincoln Park, N.Y.) and junior righty Shawn Fraumeni (Freehold, N.J.) delivered strong starts and senior 1B Chris Hopf (Middlesex, N.J.) hit his team-best eighth home run of the season, helping Caldwell University baseball earn a split of its doubleheader at CACC foe Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field. TJU won the opener, 3-1, while Caldwell took the nightcap, 7-5.

Rigas went the full eight frames in the opener, striking out three and allowing just eight hits and three runs. Thc Cougars (8-19, 7-13 CACC) could manage just six hits, among them an RBI single by junior 1B Ethan Arter (Moorstown, N.J.) in the seventh that pulled CU to within 2-1. 

In game two, Caldwell built a 4-0 lead on the strength of RBIs by senior SS Christan Rinick (Marlton, N.J.) and junior DH Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J.) and Hopf's fourth-inning solo shot.

After the Rams (13-14, 12-8 CACC) pulled to within 4-3, senior 2B Stephen Young Jr. (Middlesex, N.J.) drove in a run with a hit in the sixth and junior CF Jimmy Turchi (Bridgewater, N.J.) drove in insurance runs, before junior righty Jonathan Gambone (Westville, N.J.) nailed down his second save.

Freshman RF Izaiah Robinson (Franklin Twp., N.J.) had three hits to lead a 12-hit Cougars attack in the triumph.

The Cougars travel to Queens for a non-league tilt with the Knights on Thursday before taking on CACC foe Bridgeport in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday at Kiwanis Oval.