Box Score 1 Myrtle Beach, SC – (2/25/2011) – Chestnut Hill College split their season-opening doubleheader with Dowling College this evening, as they open a weekend of competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with the Northeast Challenge at the Ripken Experience. The Golden Lions out-slugged the Griffins to a 7-5 win in the first game, but a dazzling pitching performance from junior pitcher Rudy Behrens (Wallingford, CT) evened the score in the nightcap.
Junior left fielder Alex Latchum (Warrington, PA) led of the second game with a walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch, another walk, and a single from senior right fielder Dan Etherton (Princeton, NJ) loaded the bases. Junior centerfielder Eric Blood (Perkasie, PA) brought the first run home with a sacrifice fly and junior second baseman Jesse Daywalt (Phoenixville, PA) hustled home on a wild pitch to give Chestnut Hill College (1-1) an early 2-0 advantage. Behrens held Dowling College (1-1) at bay until their final at-bats, when an error put a runner aboard. A double brought the run across, forcing the Griffins to turn the game over to senior pitcher Matt Casino (Port Chester, NY). He struck out the only batter he saw to collect his first save of the season. Behrens struck out eight over 6.2 innings, while allowing only five hits.
The Griffins trailed the Golden Lions 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. A Latchum walk set the table, Daywalt sacrificed the runner over, and a stolen base put the tying run 90 feet away. Etherton then delivered Latchum with a sacrifice fly to tie the opener, 5-5. The Golden Lions scored the winning runs in the top of the seventh inning, with a sacrifice fly of their own, and a two-out, run-scoring single. Daywalt and Blood each recorded two hits for the Griffins; Blood plated two runs.
The baseball team continues play in the Northeast Challenge tomorrow, Saturday, February 26, with an 11:00 a.m. contest against Molloy College.
