BLOOMFIELD - The baseball team fell to 9-21 overall and 5-8 in CACC play Saturday afternoon, as they dropped a 5-2 decision to first-place Dominican College in a rain-shortened doubleheader. 

The day's inclimate weather postponed the second half of the two-game affair, leaving the opener as the only action of the day.  Bloomfield starter Luis Mendoza continued his scorching run through conference play with another solid effort, striking out seven and surrendering just a single earned run in the fourth inning over five and two-thirds innings of work.  The junior worked around Dominican threats in the first, and third innings before surrendering a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to put the Deacons behind 1-0.

Dominican would push the lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth, as a two-out Bloomfield error lead to four unearned runs for the Chargers.  Bloomfield would struggle in the game's early stages against Dominican hurler Justin Moore, but broke through with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to narrow the deficit to three runs.

Junior first baseman Luis Buron singled home Rafael Medina for Bloomfield's first run, and Alberto Ruiz stroked a double to right-center to plate the second run of the frame.  But it would prove to be all the offense the Deacons could muster against Moore, the righty going the distance to drop Bloomfield to three games under .500 in conference play.

"It was frustrating today because if you take away our mistakes on defense, we have a really good shot to win the ballgame," Bloomfield head coach Jeff Watson said.  "We are a better team then that, and we have got to start showing it.  If we can correct those mistakes, we are going to win a lot of games the rest of the way."

Buron, Ruiz and Emilio Fernandez each totaled two hits apiece in the loss, while Joe Meola and Allen Rivera notched a hit each in the setback.  Dave Ricci, Edwin Cruz and Rafael Cruz finished the game out of the bullpen for the Deacons, turning three and a third innings of scoreless baseball.

Bloomfield returns to action Sunday, April 16 with a road doubleheader against CACC rival Post University.  First pitch for the opener is set for 3:00 PM.