Kelley and Craig Garners CACC Weekly Awards for Play Versus Kutztown University and #5 Bloomfield College
New Haven, Conn. - (5/8/2017) – Chestnut Hill College ended this season’s collection Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Baseball Weekly Reports on a high note as junior pitcher Patrick Kelley (Pipersville, Pa.) and junior shortstop Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) were respectively honored as the league’s Pitcher and Player of the Week on the most recent edition, released on Monday, May 8. Craig was 5-for-7 (.714) over two games of competition; knocking in two runs to help the Griffins to a 7-5 season-finale final at Kutztown University on Wednesday, May 3 and going 3-for-4 with some heads-up base running in a 2-0 CACC Opening Round victory over #5 Bloomfield College on Saturday, May 6.
The Chestnut Hill College pitching staff got the run supported in needed to outlast Kutztown University on Wednesday, May 3, as a six-run seventh inning carried the Griffins to a 7-5 triumph over the Golden Bears. Four Griffins recorded two hits apiece in the contest, freshman centerfielder Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) and Craig were among them and both plated runs during the Scarlet and Gold’s big inning. Sophomore Dino Cattai (Philadelphia, Pa.) collected his eighth save of the season, striking out two in the final frame.
A combined four-hit shutout and some opportunistic base running led #4 Chestnut Hill College to a 2-0 CACC Opening Round victory over #5 Bloomfield College on Saturday, May 6, afternoon. In an auspicious setting, at La Salle University’s Hank DeVincent Field – site of the Griffins’ first-ever competition, Kelley and Cattai kept the Bears off balance, while a first-inning cross-up at third base and a fourth-inning, bases-loaded, beaning of senior centerfielder Joseph Monaghan (Doylestown, Pa.) plated the runs necessary to beat the Bears.
Chestnut Hill College (21-19-1) scored their first of two tallies in their first at-bat. A pair of lead-off singles from Craig and senior left fielder Brandon DiBona (Southampton, Pa.) got things started. A sacrifice from sophomore catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.) put both runners in scoring position, but it was the following fielder's choice on a grounder from junior first baseman Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.) that put the first tally on the scoreboard. Owens' grounder to third base set up a play at the plate, but Craig retreated to third base, meeting DiBona at the bag, before hustling back home while the Bloomfield College (18-22) was caught sleeping, 1-0.
In the fourth inning, Gilham connected for a lead-off single before an Owens ground out and a Bear throwing error moved him to third base. Senior third baseman Austin DiBonaventure (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) walked to load the bases. The next pitch hit Monaghan in the leg and scored the Griffins' second run.
On Thursday, May 11, #4 Chestnut Hill College will join #2 Wilmington University, #6 Dominican College, and #8 Philadelphia University at Waterbury, Connecticut's Municipal Stadium for the double elimination round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Baseball Championship Tournament. The day will begin with a 12:00 p.m. meeting between the Wildcats and Chargers and continue with the Griffins 3:00 p.m. contest versus the Rams. The losers of those games will meet in a 6:00 p.m. contest that will send the first participant home. CACC Championship play will continue on Friday, April 12, and conclude on Saturday, April 13. The Scarlet and Gold was 6-4 overall, 4-2 in conference play, against their remaining CACC rivals.
