Caldwell, N.J..– The Post University baseball team combined for four home runs and the Eagles set a new team record in wins as its bats dominated Caldwell in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader sweep, 11-7 and 15-4 on Monday afternoon.
Game two started with a bang, as freshman Mike Lisinicchia (Stamford, Conn.) hit a grand slam in the top of the first inning and the Eagles tacked on 11 runs in their first plate appearance put the game out of reach early.
After junior John Cartagena Jr. (Danbury, Conn.) and freshman Connor Kolich (Mahwah, N.J.) singled to lead off the inning, junior Rosario Missiti (Belmont, Mass.) walked to set the stage for Lisinicchia who hit a drive to deep centerfield to put the Eagles up 4-0 without recording an out.
Senior Brendon Emigholz (West Islip, N.Y.) made it a 5-0 game on a sac fly, followed by an RBI single by sophomore Jared Zima (Berlin, Conn.) to put the Eagles up 6-0. After Cartagena Jr. drove in a run on a fielder's choice, Kolich drove in a run on a sac fly. Missiti and freshman Danny Di Marzo (Fishkill, N.Y.) each tacked on RBI singles in the inning to cap the 11-run inning.
The bats added four more runs in the third as Di Marzo hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that scored Lisinicchia. Cartagena Jr. tacked on another RBI single in the inning.
Cartagena Jr. finished the game going 4-for-6 with two RBI and two runs. Lisinicchia had a career game, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and three runs. Di Marzo went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Zima went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.
Starting pitcher, senior Nick Arnold (West Islip, N.Y.) pitched four innings, striking out three and earning the win. He is 7-2 on the season.
With the win, the Eagles set a new school record for wins in a season with 26.
In game one, the Eagles jumped out to an 8-0 lead, and hit two more home runs in the 11-7 win.
After scoring a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly RBI by Di Marzo and another in the top of the third when freshman Matt Goehrig (Clifton, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, the Eagles exploded for five runs in the top of the fourth.
Emigholz doubled to score Russo, followed by an RBI single by senior Alex Wright (Butler, N.J.) before Kolich doubled to drive in a run to make it a 5-0 game. Missiti tacked on a sac fly before Goehrig's double to score Kolich made it a 7-0 game.
The Eagles (26-18, 18-10 CACC) weren't done scoring in the fifth as Russo clocked his first home run of the year, a shot to left field to make it an 8-0 game.
Caldwell (7-37, 7-23 CACC) closed the gap, scoring a run in the fifth, three more in the sixth - highlighted by an RBI triple by Rob DeSanti - and one in the seventh to make it an 8-5 game. The thought of a comeback didn't last long as Kolich hit his second homer of the year on a solo shot to center in the top of the eighth
An error plated two more Cougars in the bottom of the eight, but the Eagles put any thought of a comeback away in the top of the ninth as an RBI double by Emigholz and an RBI single by Wright was enough insurance for the Eagles.
Kolich went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Cartagena scored two runs. Russo went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI and Emigholz went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Lisinicchia got the win for the Eagles, pitching five innings and striking out six.
With the sweep, the Eagles clinched at least a No. 2 seed in the CACC North and will host a conference tournament game on Saturday.
Up next for the Eagles is a CACC home game against Chestnut Hill on Tuesday beginning at 4:30 p.m.