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BASEBALL BEGINS 2008 SEASON WITH TWO DEFEATS
2-21-08
DC 3, CC 2
WCU 10, CC 2
MYRTLE
BEACH, S.C. - The Caldwell College baseball team lost to Dowling
College and No. 20 West Chester University to open the 2008 season
on Friday at the Northeast Challenge, held at the Ripken Experience
in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Cougars fell to Dowling, 3-2 and to West
Chester, 10-2 in a cold and rainy twi-night doubleheader that wasn't
completed until after 11:00 p.m.
Caldwell struck first against Dowling in the bottom of the fourth
inning, when freshman Gabriel Molina (Bronx, NY/Monroe) hit
his first collegiate home run, a solo shot down the right field
line. The Golden Lions tied the game in the top of the fifth without
recording a hit, using a two-out error and three straight walks to
knot the score at 1-1. Sophomore pitcher Robert Casal (Howard
Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep), pictured, did not allow a hit through 5
2/3 innings until David Wendt singled with two out in the sixth.
The Cougars went ahead in the seventh after junior Aaron
Hoffstatter (Glasco, NY/Saugerties) hit a two-out single, then
advanced to second on an error. Sophomore Omar Velazquez
(Astoria, NY/Long Island City) stepped up and drove in Hoffstatter
with a single up the middle for a 2-1 lead. Dowling answered in the
top of the eighth on Wendt's two-run triple to take a 3-2 lead.
Caldwell put runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth
innings but were unable to bring them home. Casal (0-1) allowed
three hits and three walks while striking out six in 7 1/3 innings
to take the loss. Dowling's Brent Lotito fanned nine and allowed
five hits and two runs in seven innings for the victory.
In the second game, West Chester scored three runs on three hits in
the bottom of the second to jump out to an early lead. Caldwell
scored a run in the top of the fourth, when a grounder by senior
Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) plated Velazquez to
make the score 3-1 in favor of West Chester. The Rams broke the game
open with five runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a
two-run single by Frank Nunan. Molina doubled home sophomore
Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) in the ninth to
complete the scoring.
Jason Bowman struck out 10 batters while allowing three hits and a
run in six innings to earn the win. Junior righthander Stephen
Pfeil (Hampstead, NH/Pinherton Acad.) pitched 6 1/3 innings and
gave up 10 hits and five runs while striking out six for Caldwell.
The Cougars continue play at the Northeast Challenge with games
against Molloy College and Queens College on Saturday, Feb. 23. The
first game starts at 1:00 p.m.