The Philadelphia University baseball team defeated host Caldwell College 5-1 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) game on Tuesday afternoon at Smith Field in Parsippany, N.J.  The Cougars, ranked number four in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Northeast Regional poll, fall to 15-11 overall and 9-4 in the conference, while the Rams up their season mark to 4-13; 3-2 in the CACC.

Philadelphia junior starting pitcher Kyle Noonan (Morristown, N.J./Morristown; pictured) allowed just four hits and one run, while striking out five Cougars in a solid complete-game performance to earn his first win of the season against three losses.  Sophomore hurler Robert Casal (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) also went the distance for Caldwell, striking out 12 batters and walking seven while giving up six hits and five runs, two earned, to fall to 4-4.

Head Coach Mark Heineman's Rams scored twice in the top of the sixth to break open the pitchers' duel, taking a 2-0 lead.  Senior catcher Jason Hartley (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) led off the inning with a single, followed by a double off the bat of sophomore second baseman Tyler Mentzer (Gettysburg, Pa. /Delone Catholic).  One batter later, Noonan reached on an error with both Hartley and Tyler Mentzer scoring on the play.

The Cougars got one back in the bottom of the sixth, but that would be all the CACC leaders would muster against Noonan.  The Rams would proceed to tack on three insurance runs in the top of the ninth on one hit and a Caldwell error.

The baseball team is right back in action on Wednesday afternoon at home on Alumni Field, putting their two-game winning streak on the line in a single game against West Chester University.  The Rams seek to avenge a 10-8 loss at West Chester in the semifinals of the Bill Giles Invitational back on March 12.

On Tuesday, the Golden Rams won the Bill Giles Invitational championship for the fifth time in eight years with a 7-6 win over the University of the Sciences at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia.  West Chester also comes into tomorrow's game ranked number seven in the NCBWA's Division II National poll. First pitch against the Golden Rams is slated for 3:30 p.m.