Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Philadelphia, PA – (4/9/2012) – Junior first baseman Giana Cavallo (Turnersville, NJ) went 6-for-7 and knocked in two runs in the opener, but Chestnut Hill College remained one step behind St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) in a pair of afternoon contests. In the first contest, the Spartans scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to out-hit the Griffins to victory in the extra frames, 10-6. The second game was a pitcher's duel down to the final at-bat, where the Spartans stole victory with three consecutive two-out hits, 1-0.
 
In the opener, STAC (8-20) scored four runs in the top of the third inning and one run in the fourth inning to match the offensive production of Chestnut Hill College (1-19). Cavallo homered in her first at-bat to put the Griffins up 1-0 after one inning. Junior right fielder Kim Kashnoski (Philadelphia, PA) knocked in another run in the second inning with a fielder's choice the Spartan shortstop, 2-0. The Spartans answered with four runs in the top of the third inning and stole the lead, 4-2. The Griffins edged back with a run-scoring double from freshman third baseman Caitlin O'Neill (Elkton, MD) in the bottom of the frame, 4-3, but the Spartans would plate one run in the top of the fourth inning, 5-3, before the Griffins could even the score with two runs in the bottom of the at-bat, 5-5. The stalemate would hold to until the first extra frame, where the Spartans broke the Griffin defenses with five runs on five hits and an error, 10-5. The Griffins got one back on a single through the right side from sophomore left fielder Sarah Mattaliano (Coral Spring, FL), but it would not be enough to catch the Spartans. Cavallo was 4-for-4 with two runs and two runs-batted-in (RBI).
 
Junior pitcher Mandi Rush (Royersford, PA) matched Spartan junior, Megan Sweezy (East Islip, NY) pitch-for-pitch in game two. The contest went scoreless through six innings, 0-0, despite four hits for each side. In the top of the seventh, the Spartans broke the ice with three consecutive two-out hits as two singles to left field and a double to right field plated the affair's first run, 1-0. Junior second baseman Cassie Benson (Rosamond, CA) recorded a one-out single in the Griffins half of the seventh inning, but the rally would be quickly cut short with a Spartan 5-4-3 double play. Cavallo led the offense with two hits while Rush allowed one run on seven hits. She struck out one in the loss (0-11).        
 
The softball team resumes their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, April 10, with a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader against Caldwell College.