Timely Hitting Helps Craig To First CACC Weekly Recognition
New Haven, Conn. – (3/14/2016) – Sophomore second baseman Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) was clutch in a 3-for-5 effort against Le Moyne College that included a lead-off triple and helped produce seven scores in a 9-6 victory with three runs and four runs-batted-in (RBI). He finished the week with a .462 (6-for-13) batting average and a .846 slugging percentage to earn his first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Weekly Honor Roll mention of the season.
The Scarlet and Gold first home stand of the season included a pair of contests versus The Lincoln University on Wednesday, March 9, and a two games opposite Northeast 10 challengers in Le Moyne College on Thursday, March 10, and the College of Saint Rose on Saturday, March 12.
As competitive as the opener was with the Lions, 7-4, game two was anything but as Chestnut Hill College completed a sweep of The Lincoln University with a 25-4 triumph. In the first game, the Griffins made efficient use of seven hits and three Lion errors as junior center fielder Brandon DiBona (Southampton, Pa.) broke the game open with a fourth-inning rocket at the second baseman while senior pitcher Zachary Crim (Horsham, Pa.) eventually settled down to collect his first win (1-0) of the season. The nightcap saw 10 Griffins record multiple hits for the highest run total and largest margin of victory in program history.
Craig was 2-for-4 in the twin bill, leading off the opener with a triple (1-for-3) before scoring on a DiBona sacrifice fly and leading-off the nightcap with a single before drawing a pair of walks to score on a second-inning single from senior first baseman Patrick Campion (Norristown, Pa.) and a third-inning single from senior left fielder Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.).
Versus Le Moyne College, Chestnut Hill College hit early and late, leading 6-3 after three innings and using a three-run eighth inning to defeat the Dolphins 9-6. Sophomore designated hitter Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.) led off the Griffin half of the eighth inning with a double to centerfield. It was followed by a walk to freshman third baseman Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.), and a sacrifice from junior shortstop Jonathan Baturgil (Freehold, N.J.). With runners in scoring position, a clutch Craig single tipped off the Le Moyne College (9-6) second baseman's glove in into right field, bringing home a pair of critical runs, 8-6. A wild pitch and a walk later, a Dolphin error placed DiBona at third base and scored Craig, who hustled home when the shortstop got greedy on a line-out off the bat of sophomore pinch hitter Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.), 9-6.
Each side scored a run in their first at-bat with as Le Moyne College broke the ice on a bad throw down to second base, 1-0, and the Scarlet and Gold evened things up on Craig's lead-off triple, a walk to DiBona, and a Looby single through the left side, 1-1. The Dolphins then used four second-inning hits to recapture the edge, 3-1, but right on que, the Griffin lumber came through as a lead-off Owens single down the left field line was followed by a walk to Szumigala, a beaning of Baturgil, and a RBI fielder's choice from Craig, 3-2, scored the first of four runs. A throwing error by the Dolphin catcher scored the next, 3-3, and walks to DiBona and junior right fielder Joseph Monaghan (Doylestown, Pa.) reloaded the bases for another visitor error and a sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Patrick Campion (Norristown, Pa.) to bring home to more Griffin tallies, 5-3. The lead expanded to 6-3 in the third inning with another lead-off Owens hit producing a run on two-out Craig single.
In the first of three meetings, Chestnut Hill College and the College of St. Rose (2-8) faced off at Latshaw-McCarthy Field on Saturday, March 12. The Golden Knights led off the contest with back-to-back extra base hits and two runs, 2-0. In the third inning, a Szumigala one-out single through the right side gave Chestnut Hill College their first hit of the contest. A Baturgil double to right center moved him to third base and placed two runners in scoring position for a run-scoring, Craig ground-out to second base, 2-1. But the Golden Knights stopped the Griffins there and got the run back in the sixth inning, 3-1, before adding four more in their final at-bat to outweigh Campion’s seventh-inning solo shot. Craig was 1-for-4 in the contest, adding an eighth-inning double to his third-inning RBI.
Chestnut Hill College will look for revenge when they visit the College of St. Rose for a pair of games on Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26. The Griffins finish their first home stand of the season with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader versus Kutztown University on Wednesday, March 12.
