Box Score Norristown, PA – (3/15/2012) – Chestnut Hill College welcomed Wilmington University to Latshaw-McCarthy Field for today's non-conference, home opener. The Wildcats answered a four-run Griffin fourth inning with a four-run fifth inning to hold a 7-5 run midway through the affair. With runs in the sixth inning and eighth inning the Griffins tied the contest heading to final at-bats, but the Wildcats came away with victory on a three-run triple from senior right fielder Jordan Oncay (Newark, DE), 10-7. Senior left fielder Alex Latchum (Warrington, PA) and sophomore center fielder Desmond Lites (Philadelphia, PA) led the Griffins with three hits apiece.
 
Chestnut Hill College (7-7) took a 5-3 lead over Wilmington University (9-4) in the bottom of the fourth inning, using four hits and three Wildcat errors to bring four runs across the plate. Junior shortstop Joe Crane (Newtown, PA) led off the inning with a single to left field and after an error and three more Griffin singles the home team took the lead 4-3. The fifth Griffin run crossed on the next at-bat; a Latchum fielder's choice, 5-3. The Wildcats responded in the top of the fifth inning, matching the Griffins fourth inning production with four base hits. After a lead-off double, a single from senior first baseman Adam Soley (Harleysville, PA) plated the Wildcats first run of the inning, 5-4. Following a fielder's choice and a sacrifice bunt, a two-run double from junior left fielder Jordan Johnson (Galena, MD) scored two more Wildcats for the lead, 6-5, before Johnson, himself, would score on a single from senior center fielder Joe Harbach (Abingdon, MD). In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Griffins pulled within one with sophomore designated hitter Ray Puskar (Green Lane, PA) doubling in senior second baseman Jesse Daywalt (Phoenixville, PA), 7-6, who had reached on a one-out bit-by-pitch. The Griffins then tied the contest in the eighth inning, using a lead-off walk and a Latchum single to put two runners aboard. Eventually, a Puskar fielder's choice would bring all things even, 7-7, heading to the ninth inning. Unfortunately, the Wildcats did not allow the stalemate to last, using a walk and two hits-batsman to load the bases before a three-run Oncay triple. Oncay took the mound in the bottom of the ninth and survived for the save (3), 10-7, despite allowing the winning run to come to the plate.
 
Oncay knocked in four runs and Harbach totaled three hits (3-for-5) as the top performers for the Wildcats. In the starting roll, senior pitcher Mike Godwin (Hockessin, DE) allowed two earned runs on ten hits and a walk. He struck out six in five innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Nick Marics (Edison, NJ) collected the win in relief (2-0).

Puskar knocked in two runs with two hits (2-of-5) to help Latchum and Lites generate the Griffin offense. Freshman third baseman Taylor Steen (New Egypt, NJ) and senior first baseman Andrew Koziol (Wilmington, DE) totaled two hits apiece. Freshman pitcher Seamus Finnegan (Collegeville, PA) started for the Griffins, but freshman pitcher Anthony McQuade (Lindenhurst, NY) took the loss in relief (0-1).
 
The baseball team opens their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) schedule this weekend with a trip to Post University. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 17.