WILMINGTON DEFEATS CALDWELL TO CAPTURE CACC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
5-12-07
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today's action
 WILMINGTON,
Del. - A six-run fourth inning propelled Wilmington College past the
Caldwell College baseball team, 10-7 in the championship game of the
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Saturday afternoon
at Frawley Stadium. The victory gives the second-seeded Wildcats
(29-18) their first CACC baseball tournament title and an automatic
bid to the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Tournament, which
begins on Thursday, May 17. The Cougars (24-13), who captured the
CACC regular-season crown, will learn if they will receive an
at-large bid to the regional when the field is announced Sunday
evening.
With Caldwell leading 3-2, Wilmington's Andy Chunn hit a three-run
home run and Jason Rust hit a two-run homer in a six-run fourth
inning that gave the Wildcats an 8-3 lead. The Cougars scored a run
in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by freshman Jon
Irwin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac). But two more Wilmington runs in the
top of the sixth made it a 10-4 game in favor of the Wildcats.
Junior Tommy Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) doubled home
freshman Andrew Robertson (Coral Springs, FL/Taravella) in
the bottom of the sixth, freshman Adric Saxon (Coral Springs,
FL/Taravella) came home on a grounder by junior Chris Chiarappa
(Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) in the seventh, and Chiarappa's double
in the ninth plated Saxon to cut the deficit to 10-7. But with
runners on second and third an two out, reliever Bill Cecconi
induced a groundout to end the game.
 After
the Wildcats opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second,
Caldwell responded with three runs in the bottom-half of the inning.
Singles by Saxon and senior Billy Ryan (Toms River,
NJ/Manchester) put runners on first and third for senior Efrain
Velazquez (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.), whose bunt single scored Saxon
to tie the game at 1-1. On the next play, Ryan stole third base and
came home when the catcher's throw was off the mark. Robertson
plated Velazquez, right, with a sacrifice fly to put Caldwell up
3-1.
Saxon and Ryan each had three hits in the game, while Chiarappa
recorded two hits and two RBIs. Freshman Raymond Keelan
(Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) started the game on the mound for
the Cougars and lasted three innings to take the loss. Wilmington's
Jimmy Okoniewski pitched five innings of relief to earn the victory.
Saxon, Murphy and freshman pitcher Robert Casal (Howard
Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep) were named to the all-Tournament team.
The Cougars, who have played in four of the last six CACC Tournament
finals, hope to advance to their second NCAA Regional Tournament
when the field is announced Sunday evening. The selection is
scheduled to be announced at 8:00 p.m. on
ncaasports.com.
CACC Baseball Tournament, Hosted by Wilmington College
Thursday, May 10
Game 1: No. 2 Wilmington 14, No. 3 Felician 11
Game 2: No. 4 Dominican 12, No. 1 Caldwell vs. 11
Friday, May 11
Game 3: No. 1 Caldwell 11, No. 3 Felician 4
Game 4: No. 2 Wilmington 1, No. 4 Dominican 0
Game 5: No. 1 Caldwell 5, No. 4 Dominican 4, 10 innings
Saturday, May 12
Game 6: No. 2 Wilmington 10, No. 1 Caldwell 7
All-Tournament Team
Joe Matterer, Wilmington – MVP
Phil Aviola, Wilmington
Spike Austin, Wilmington
Jason Rust, Wilmington
Mike Wilson, Wilmington
Tommy Murphy, Caldwell
Adric Saxon, Caldwell
Robert Casal, Caldwell
Tommy Maloney, Dominican
Joseph Catanese, Dominican
Chris Flynn, Felician
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