WATERBURY, Conn. – Honoring 11 seniors between their regular-season finale doubleheader at Municipal Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, Post University Baseball would be unable to right the ship heading into the CACC Tournament's First Round this weekend against Felician University on the road, falling in seven innings, 13-2 in game one, and 7-4 in game two. The Eagles are now on their second seven-game losing streak of the season and will face the Golden Falcons on Friday afternoon in a best-of-three series that features a doubleheader that day with an if-necessary game on Saturday. 

THE BASICS

Post University 2, Lincoln University 13 (7 Innings)
 
Post University 4, Lincoln University 7 (7 Innings)
 
Post University (26-23, 22-14 CACC)

Lincoln University (9-37, 5-28 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: Post University 2, Lincoln University 13 (7 Innings)
Junior outfielder Solomon Devard led the Lion offense with three RBIs as part of a 2-for-4 game in which he singled twice, including a two-run single, and walked in a run. Junior first baseman Keith Gardner was the only other Lincoln hitter to record multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and three runs scored.

The Lions attacked freshman right-hander Tim Mingo, who made his first start of the season, for 10 runs (seven earned) on seven hits with six walks and four strikeouts. Mingo's failed pickoff attempt of senior catcher Sebastian Iguaran in the second led to a myriad of misplays by Post that cleared the bases and gave Lincoln a 3-0 lead as part of their 10-run start to the affair.

Both of the Eagles' runs would come in the fifth inning off of freshman right-hander Isaiah Negron via wild pitch and balk, as Negron spun six innings of four-hit ball en route to his first collegiate win. Along the way to the victory, Negron would strike out four batters, hit two, walk one, and have four wild pitches. 

Sophomore outfielder Dario Sosa made his first collegiate appearance on the mound for Post, throwing an inning and allowing one unearned run. Sosa would give way to Alex Puente for 2/3 innings of work, also allowing two unearned runs to round out the 13-run game for Lincoln offensively. Graduate outfielder Jaylen Kelley rounded out the 13-2 seven-inning loss, throwing a scoreless frame in which he recorded his first collegiate strikeout. 

Game 2: Post University 4, Lincoln University 7 (7 Innings)
Exchanging runs in the first inning, Devard's steal of second and advancement to third with one out helped get in across the plate on senior shortstop Wesley Hogan's ground out, while a wild pitch from freshman right-hander Ethan Craig scored senior utilityman Damaurys Rodriguez. 

Junior first baseman Kenneth Gaskins III's steal of home in the second allowed the Lions to retake the lead, but senior third baseman Justin Rivera's RBI single in the third once again tied the two sides up at two all. But five unanswered runs from the Lincoln offense would be the undoing for Post, giving the Lions a five-run lead, 7-2. The stretch was highlighted by a solo shot from Gaskins III as well as a two-run triple from freshman utilityman Bryce McNeil across the fourth and fifth innings. 

Looking to mount a comeback, Sosa's solo home run off Craig narrowed the deficit to four, 7-3, but Craig would escape the bases-loaded jam in the fifth, getting sophomore infielder Maico Cardona to line out to end the frame. Once again threatening for runs in the sixth, graduate utilityman Hayden Roberge was hit by a pitch, and freshman outfielder Ben Major doubled, putting runners on second and third with nobody out for Post. 

However, the Eagles would only be able to push one run across via sophomore catcher Sean Cleary's RBI ground out as Craig came back to retire three consecutive hitters to quell the chance. Pitching his third complete game of the season, Craig earned his fifth win of the year after lasting all seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts, three walks, two hit batters, and three wild pitches. The freshman would retire three of the final four batters in the seventh inning, en route to the 7-4 win, allowing only a one-out walk to Rivera. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Post University pitching has allowed seven-plus runs in each of their last eight games with the last one dipping below that mark coming in a 22-1 win over Bloomfield College on April 19th
• Hayden Roberge was hit two more times in the doubleheader today, as he has been hit by a pitch 29 times this season, continuing to extend the lead on his program record
• This is the second time this season in which Post University has lost seven consecutive games – The Eagles started the year 0-7 before beating Bentley University on the road, 14-12 
• Today's doubleheader marked the first time Post University and Lincoln University have met in conference play as the Lions joined the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference this season 

WHO'S NEXT
The first round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament gets underway on Friday for the best-of-three series among the four North Division teams. As the third seed, Post University will travel to face two-seeded Felician University for a doubleheader, and should the teams split, they would play an if-necessary game on Saturday to decide who advances to the four-team tournament next weekend. Times for all three games are still to be determined and will be updated on the website once available.