Craig Named CACC Player of the Week, Leaves Mark on Spring Trip with 1.455 OPS
New Haven, Conn. - (3/12/2018) – After going 3-for-11 in a three-game series with Florida Memorial University, Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) has been on a tear. The Griffins’ senior shortstop batted .500 (10-for-20) over Chestnut Hill College’s last six games in Florida, successfully stealing seven bases (7-for-7), scoring eight runs, and driving in five with a 1.455 on-base plus slugging to be named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Player of the Week. He concluded the Griffins’ 3-3 week, reaching base in all seven plate appearances during the 12-inning, 5-4 get-away loss to Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Craig opened the week going 2-for-4 in a 10-4 win over Stonehill College. He scored twice and knocked in one run; crossing on a seven-inning sacrifice fly from junior catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.) before singling in a run and scoring again on an eighth-inning fielder’s choice. A day later, on the same field, Craig was 2-for-3 versus Barry University. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers’ seven-run second inning haunted Chestnut Hill College the rest of the as a first-inning home run from Craig, a fourth-inning single from junior left fielder Eric Small (Downingtown, Pa.), an eighth-inning home run from senior first baseman Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.), and a ninth-inning home run from junior right fielder David McBrearty (Sicklerville, N.J.) only netted four runs in an eventual 10-4 loss.
In two games versus Florida National University, Craig was 2-for-6 with a run-batted-in (RBI) and two runs scored. Chestnut Hill College (4-5) and Florida National University wasted no time putting bat to ball at Santaluces Community High School as the Griffins used a pair of lead-off singles, a Craig walk, and a pair of run-scoring singles from Owens and Gilham to grab a 3-2 first-inning edge. The Scarlet and Gold also manufactured a run in the third inning, 4-2, before plating three more runs in the fourth inning, 7-2, four runs in the fifth inning, 11-4, and two late tallies in an eventual 13-4 victory. Craig was aboard for Owens’ two-out home run in the first inning of game two, 2-0, and he walked in the seventh inning, but the Scarlet and Gold leaned on junior Matthew Kress (Lansdale, Pa.) and freshman Billy Bethel (Yardley, Pa.) to preserve the sweep with a 5-4 victory.
Craig plated both Chestnut Hill College runs in an 11-2 loss to Palm Beach Atlantic University with an eighth-inning, two-out triple but he truly shined in the second game versus the Sailfish, reaching base in all seven of his at-bats during a 5-4, 12-inning loss. He drew a one-out walk before scoring the Griffins’ first run on a bases-loaded beanball. He finished the contest 3-for-3 with two runs; singling in the fifth and sixth innings, and doubling in the eighth inning, while drawing additional walks in the second, 10th, and 12th innings.
The Chestnut Hill College baseball team is scheduled to open their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) season on Saturday, March 17, when they host Concordia College (NY) for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.
