LANTANA, FLA. – Bloomfield College baseball saw sophomore Anthony Lantigua (Belleville, N.J.) belt his third career home run and first of 2016 but it was not enough as the Bears dropped a 7-3 non-conference battle against Caldwell University Friday night under the lights of the Santaluces Complex.
 
The setback left Bloomfield at 1-6 on the season and still searching for their first win on the Florida trip while Caldwell improved to 2-0 on the year.
 
The Bears struck in the bottom of the opening inning as Juan Reina (Paterson, N.J.) scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on an error by the center fielder. The Cougars rallied with a pair of runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take charge 4-1.
 
Bloomfield got a run back in the sixth when Reina singled thru the left side and then stole second. Cristopher Cabral (Lodi, N.J.) walked and then Stephon Moore reached on a fielder's choice that scored Reina who made it to third on a wild pitch before the Cabral walked.
 
Caldwell regained their three-run advantage in the top of the seventh but Lantigua led off the Bears half of the inning with a blast to left field that drew Bloomfield to within two (5-3).
 
The Cougars closed the door on the night's scoring with two runs in the eighth off right-handed reliever, Yordani Nicascio (Paterson, N.J.) to push the score to 7-3.
 
Lefty Justin Torres (Teaneck, N.J.) picked up the loss (0-1) after tossing six innings in his season debut, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out five. Nicascio pitched two innings and surrendered three runs on five hits and struck out one before turning the ball over to Ellis Sanchez (Kearny, N.J.) in the ninth who gave up a hit and a walk but no runs.
 
Bloomfield closes out their Florida trip when they take on St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday, March 12 at the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, FL at 3:00 pm.
 
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