RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A slump to end the season would spell the end to Post University Baseball's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship title defense hopes as the Eagles were swept in the first two games of their best-of-three series against Felician University on Friday in the First Round of the tournament, Losing 14-5 and 10-9, Post ends the season on a nine-game losing streak dating back to their seven-inning loss to Goldey-Beacom College, who was ranked 18th in the nation at the time, 7-6.
THE BASICS
Post University 5, Felician University 14
Post University 9, Felician University 10
Post University (26-25)
Felician University (35-16)
HOW IT HAPPENED
In both games, Post would have the early advantage before falling behind to drop the affair as junior catcher
Eric Perez gave the Eagles an early 2-1 lead in the third inning of game one after junior infielder Hayden Walters gave the Golden Falcons the 1-0 advantage on his second-inning RBI single. Nine unanswered runs proved to make all the difference for Felician to take game one, highlighted by a inside-the-park grand slam from junior infielder Jaxson Wall that was part of the seven-run third inning to make it 8-2, Wall finished the game 4-for-6 with four RBIs from that home run, and a run scored.
Graduate right-hander
Joe Christiana's career at Post ultimately would come to a close with the sweep today and getting the ball in the first game, he would be dealt his first loss of the season. Finishing the season with a 6-1 record, Christiana lasted only three innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits with three walks to bring his record-breaking career to a close as the all-time wins and strikeout leader, while falling just shy of the innings pitched record with 253 1/3. The innings pitched record remains with Brenden Wyman, who pitched 261 2/3 innings from 2006-2009 for the Eagles.
Freshman outfielder
Ben Major hit his first collegiate home run in the ninth inning of the game one affair, while the other two runs for the Eagles off of sophomore right-hander Max Weber came via walks in the fifth inning of the 14-5 loss.
Senior outfielder Christian Bauman spearheaded the come-from-behind victory in game two for the Golden Falcons, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored in the narrow 10-9 win that ended the three-game series in sweeping fashion. Bauman's solo home run in the sixth helped Felician take the lead back from the Eagles, who led 2-0 in the first, as well as 5-3 in the fifth inning, 6-5, before his three-run shot two innings later in the seventh gave his team some breathing room, extending their lead to four runs, 10-6.
With their season on the line, senior third baseman
Justin Rivera's RBI single looked to be the start of the Eagle rally in the eighth with the bases loaded and one out. Still trailing by three, graduate catcher
Isaiah Velazco's sacrifice fly and back-to-back walks issued from Felician pitching turned the four-run deficit in to just a one-run deficit, 10-9, with two outs and sophomore infielder
Maico Cardona at the plate. Facing senior right-hander Logan Waltz with the bases loaded, Waltz would get out of the jam, forcing Cardona to ground out to end the inning.
Graduate outfielder
Jaylen Kelley led off the ninth with a single and with
Alex Puente running in his place, a sacrifice bunt from Major as well as a ground out by senior utilityman
Damaurys Rodriguez got Puente to third with two outs. Ending Post's season, Waltz would get graduate utilityman
Hayden Roberge to line out to short, securing the game two win in which sophomore right-hander Gavin Enright took the win and Waltz picked up his first save of the season.
Along the nine-game skid, Post pitching allowed 10-plus runs in six of the nine losses and no less than six runs in every single game, while the offense averaged 6.5 runs per game after putting up a total of 59 runs during the same stretch.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Damaurys Rodriguez becomes the single-season record holder for highest batting average, finishing at .429 -- Rodriguez beat out Rosario Missiti's mark of .413, set in 2019
- Hayden Roberge ends the season having been hit by a program record-breaking 31 pitches in 51 total games played for Post University
- Post University recorded 101 doubles in 51 games played, setting a new single-season team record for the program, while recording the second-most RBIs at 321 and third-most runs scored at 363 in program history
- Ending the season on a nine-game losing streak, Post University will head into the 2026 season looking to avoid its fourth longest losing streak in program history, which currently stands at 10 games back in 2002
