WATERBURY, Conn. –  The offense showed up in a big way for Post University Baseball on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium against Bloomfield College. Scoring a combined 32 runs across the doubleheader, the Eagles moved to within two games in the win column of tying Dominican (N.Y.) for first in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference North Division with a 21-7 conference record after sweeping the Bears, 10-4 and 22-1. 

THE BASICS

Post University 10, Bloomfield College 4
 
Post University 22, Bloomfield College 1 (7 Innings)
 
Post University (25-16, 21-7 CACC)

Bloomfield College (0-34, 0-24 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: Post University 10, Bloomfield College 4
This time around, it would be the Eagles getting on the scoreboard first and the Bears responding to tie it as sophomore outfielder Dario Sosa's RBI double and a sacrifice fly from junior catcher Manny Contreras gave the home team a quick 2-0 lead in the third. Undone by errors for the second straight day, two Bloomfield runs scraped across to tie the game in the top of the fourth via a throwing error by senior right-hander Brennan Holligan and an RBI ground out by sophomore outfielder Elder Maldanado. 

However, Sosa's second double of the game in the bottom of the frame would drive in two more after RBI singles by senior third baseman Justin Rivera and graduate outfielder Jaylen Kelley sparked a four-run inning for Post, giving them a four-run lead, 6-4, that they would never look back on. 

Taking game one by a 10-4 final, Kelley and Sosa went a combined 5-for-8 with four doubles, six RBIs, and three runs scored to lead the offensive charge for a Post team that stole seven bases in the win. Senior outfielder Andres Frias hit his second home run of the year for Bloomfield in the fifth inning, which briefly cut down the deficit to three runs, 6-3, at the time. 

Holligan earned his fifth win on the mound for Post, going six innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore right-hander Dalton Wright closed out the game for his first save of the season with three innings of work in which he allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. 

Game 2: Post University 22, Bloomfield College 1
Sosa kept up the hot bat in game two for the Eagles as part of a 3-for-4 performance with a triple, two RBIs, two runs, and a walk as Post ran away with the game behind a 16-run fifth inning. Scoring those 16 runs on just eight hits, the Eagles sent 21 batters to the plate and scored 14 of those runs with two outs in the frame following a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Maico Cardona, which made it an 8-1 game at the time. 

Post entered the inning holding a 6-1 lead behind Sosa's two-run triple in the first inning as well as a two-run single by Cardona, Kelley's hit-by-pitch, and an RBI ground out from Rivera before the floodgates opened. Freshman pitchers Josue Cueto and George Wonica were responsible for giving up a majority of the runs in the fifth, as Cueto pitched to the first eight batters, allowing two runs, while hitting three batters, giving up three singles, and retiring two.

Between Cueto and Wonica, they combined to pitch only 2/3 innings, allowing a combined 15 runs, walking four, hitting three, and striking out two, before junior pitcher Bernard Coronado was able to retire the final out of that fifth inning after walking three batters, striking out one, and giving up a run. Three Eagles finished with four RBIs in sophomore infielder Jesse Alfalla, Rivera, and Cardona, while Kelley finished the game with three RBIs for a Post team that had only four extra-base hits and 12 hits all game to go along with the 22 runs. 

Every player in the starting lineup for the Eagles reached base safely in some capacity while also recording an RBI, and six of the nine recorded a hit in the seven-inning game. Graduate right-hander Joe Christiana remained undefeated on the mound this season at 6-0 after going six innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The 16 runs in the fifth inning for Post University is the most in a single inning in program history by the Eagles – Post put up 15 runs in the first inning against Caldwell University in a 26-6 win on April 3rd, 2019, which also coincides with the most runs scored in a game for the Eagles in program history 
• This is the second time this season in which Post University has scored 10-plus runs in an inning after putting up 16 runs in the fifth inning – The Eagles had 10 runs in the fourth inning of game two against Jefferson University earlier this week in their 14-2 win 
• Getting hit by two pitches today, Hayden Roberge now has been hit 24 times this season, continuing his stranglehold on the single-season record for Post University and now surpassing Georgian Court's Carter Riebe (22) for the most in the conference this season 
• Putting up 22 runs in game two, Post University nearly had more runs in that game than the previous three games combined against Bloomfield College this weekend – The Eagles scored 24 runs across the first three games of the series  

WHO'S NEXT
Before next Saturday's Senior Day, Post University heads south to Delaware on Wednesday afternoon to take on Goldey-Beacom College, which is currently ranked 17th in the NCBWA National Poll. The two teams met four times this year as the Eagles were swept by the Lightning at home in the regular season, beat them in the CACC Tournament en route to the title, and then lost in the NCAA Regional, 6-0.