PHILADELPHIA – The Thomas Jefferson University baseball team (22-11, 10-4) competed against Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) North opponent Caldwell University (8-16, 7-8) in Sunday afternoon action. Jefferson took game one 10-6 while holding a late comeback from the Cougars to win game two 8-4.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
GAME ONE: W, 10-6
The game was even in the first inning for both teams. Caldwell scored on a single through right field while Marquise Wood brought Justin Egner to homeplate off a single to left center. The Cougars took the lead over off a double to left center. Josh Lopez put the Rams up front with the first of his two-run homeruns on the day in the bottom of the third inning.
 
After Caldwell went up with runs in the fourth and fifth inning, the Rams put together three runs of their own in the fifth inning. Chris McLean hit a triple to right center for Egner to score. Lopez delivered his second two-run homerun of the day and Gabe Silva hit a single that have Wood the time to make the run and put up a 7-4 lead for Jefferson.
 
Cruz cut down the lead to two runs for Caldwell with a single in the sixth. Wood responded for Jefferson with a two RBI single through the middle for a 9-5 lead. A Caldwell error let Wood make homeplate, giving the Rams a five-run lead over the Cougars. A homerun in the seventh was not enough for a Caldwell comeback as Jefferson took the 10-6 win in game one.
 
QUICK HITS
Josh Lopez: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Marquise Wood: 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI
Chris McLean: 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI
Justin Egner: 1-for-1, 3 R
Sean Morgan: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 SO
 
GAME TWO: W, 8-4
The Rams got out early with Wood again, this time a single up the middle for a Jo. Lopez score and an early Jefferson lead. Samuel Bass got three hitless innings for Jefferson to begin the game and holding Caldwell to no runs during that span. Jefferson was not able to score in the second and third inning, but got two runs in the bottom of the fourth by a throwing error by the firstbaseman and a grounded out that gave Justin Espinal the chance to make it a 3-0 advantage for the Rams.
 
Caldwell got on the board in the fifth with a homerun to left center field. Joshua Lopez hit a double to the leftline for a run while Espinal got a two RBI double to left center. After holding a 6-1 lead, the Cougars started to in back in the sixth inning. A score from a wild pitch and a double to center field adding another run cut the Rams lead to 6-3.
 
The bottom of the sixth allowed the Rams to pad their lead back to five runs, as a sacrifice fly by Wood added one run while a wild pitch gave McLean the room to score another for the 8-3 advantage heading into the seventh. Caldwell put another run on the board and filled the bases for the potential tying-run at bat with one out. The Rams held strong, getting a ground out double play to conclude game two with a 8-4 win and earn the CACC sweep over the Cougars.
 
QUICK HITS
Josh Lopez: 1-for-2, 2 R
Joshua Lopez: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Marquise Wood: 1-for-2, 2 RBI
Justin Espinal: 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 RBI
Samuel Bass: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 SO
 
UP NEXT
After their wins this Sunday, Jefferson now sits atop the CACC South Division. The Rams will look to keep the first place spot as they take on CACC South opponent Wilmington University of Delaware on Wednesday, April 17 on the road. The single game begins at 3 p.m.