Hughes Hauls in CACC Rookie of the Week, Craig Earns Honor Roll Recognition
New Haven, Conn. – (5/7/2018) – A record 14–strikeout performance from freshman Thomas Hughes (Phoenixville, Pa.) was not enough to secure a win at Post University, but did earn him the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Rookie of the Week award. Senior shortstop Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) joined Hughes on the final league report of the season, garnering Weekly Honor Roll recognition with a .500 (7-for-14)/.579/.714 slash line.
The Griffins CACC regular season came to a close on Tuesday (May 1) night for Chestnut Hill College (23-21, 18-14), who visited North Division leader Post University (27-19, 19-11) for a twin bill. The Scarlet and Gold dominated the opener, using multiple hit performances from Craig (2-for-4), junior catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.) (2-for-5), freshman right fielder Sam Barletta (Royersford, Pa.) (2-for-3), and sophomore catcher Thomas Spratt (Doylestown, Pa.) (2-for-4) to bury the Eagles by a 16-5 final. Unfortunately, the home team got revenge in the nightcap, 5-3, tempering the Griffin bats to spoil Hughes’ 14–strikeout performance. Hughes provided a quality start, receiving no decision despite holding Post University to one earned run on one hit and three walks. Craig was 3-for-7 (.429) in the twin bill with two runs, three runs-batted-in (RBI), two walks, and four stolen bases (4-for-4, 1.000).
A six-run first inning did more than enough damage to earn Chestnut Hill College a 13-5 victory in Wednesday’s (May 2) regular season finale versus Kutztown University (19-18). Three Griffins drove in two runs, one of which was sophomore second baseman Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) who went 3-for-6 and batted twice in the first inning, knocking in two runs in his second at-bat of the frame. Junior Matthew Kress (Lansdale, Pa.) earned the win (6-3) with a perfect second inning. Craig walked in the first inning to safely reach base in a 50th consecutive contest. He stole second and later scored that inning before finishing the game 2-for-3 with two walks, three runs, and an RBI.
An unfortunate first inning set the tone for Saturday’s (May 5) CACC Opening Round contest as #2N Dominican College (20-30) used a seven-run, first at-bat to put #3S Chestnut Hill College in tough spot in an eventual 15-2 final. Craig and fellow senior, first baseman Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.) both homered and freshman third baseman Jared Healey (Philadelphia, Pa.) went 3-for-4, but the Chargers earned the right to advance to the double-elimination portion of the CACC Baseball Championship Tournament with a 22-hit barrage. Craig homered with two out in the top of the sixth inning, 11-1, and added a two-out, eighth-inning single to finish the year tied with Dan Etherton ’11 for the highest single-season average (.403, 60-for-149) in program history.
The Chestnut Hill College baseball team concluded the 2018 season with a 23-21 overall record and 18-14 standing in CACC play.
