KEELAN HELPS COUGARS OVERCOME NYACK IN BASEBALL
4-10-07
box score
 PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Freshman outfielder Raymond Keelan
(Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) drove in the game-winning run with
a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Caldwell
College baseball team to an 8-7 victory over Nyack College in a
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Tuesday night at Smith
Field. Keelan, who also had a two-run single in Caldwell's six-run
eighth inning, helped the Cougars improve to 12-6 overall and 4-1 in
the conference, while the Warriors fall to 4-22, 2-3 CACC.
The Warriors opened up a significant lead with six runs in the top
of the third on five hits, including three doubles. The big blow
came off the bat of Oscar Ortiz, who belted a three-run double. All
six runs were scored with two outs. The Cougars got on the
scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning, when junior Chris
Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) singled and later scored on
an error. But Nyack restored the six-run lead with an unearned run
in the top of the eighth.
Trailing 7-1, the Cougars staged a comeback in the bottom of the
eighth. Freshman Omar Velazquez (Astoria, NY/Long Island
City) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a
sacrifice fly by junior Tommy Murphy (Monroe,
NY/Washingtonville). A sacrifice fly from senior Billy Ryan
(Toms River, NJ/Manchester) made the score 7-3 before Keelan singled
home a pair of runs to pull the Cougars to within two, 7-5. With
runners on second and third, a single by freshman Jon Irwin
(Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) plated Keelan and advanced junior Joe Hydro
(Flemington, NJ/Immaculata) to third. During the next at-bat, Hydro
came home on a passed ball that tied the game at 7-7.
The Warriors loaded the bases on three consecutive singles with no
outs in the top of the ninth. Murphy, who came on in relief in the
ninth, struck out Ian Beezub, then caught Craig Kulas' squeeze bunt
attempt and doubled the runner at third for an inning-ending double
play. In the bottom of the ninth, Caldwell put runners on first and
second with two out for Keelan, who roped a single into left field
that scored freshman Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward
CC) to win the game.
Keelan, Chiarappa, Saxon and freshman Doug Hilgenberg
(Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) each had two hits to pace the
Cougar offense. Murphy (2-0) pitched one inning of relief to earn
the victory, while Nyack's Billy Gleason struck out 12 batters while
allowing nine hits, seven runs (four earned) and one walk in eight
innings of work. Beezub pitched the ninth inning and took the loss.
The Cougars play at Dominican College on Wednesday, Apr. 11 in a
meeting between the top two teams in the CACC standings. Game time
is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.
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