Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Norristown, Pa. – (3/15/2013) – Chestnut Hill College got a great start on their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) schedule with this afternoon's doubleheader sweep, 8-1 and 7-2, of Post University. On the mound, senior Robert Hopkins (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore Dominic Raia III (Philadelphia, Pa.) shut down the Eagle offense while freshman designated hitter Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.) and sophomore right fielder Michael McLaughlin (Philadelphia, Pa.) headlined the production at the plate with four hits apiece.
 
In front of the home crowd, Chestnut Hill College (8-8, 2-0) opened league play with a bang. A one-out walk to junior center fielder Desmond Lites (Philadelphia, Pa.), and back-to-back singles from senior shortstop Joseph Crane (Churchville, Pa.) and junior first baseman Raymond Puskar (Green Lane, Pa.) put Post University (7-6, 0-2) in early trouble. With the bases loaded, sophomore third baseman Taylor Steen (New Egypt, N.J.) drove in Lites with a grounder to second base to make it 1-0 Griffins and the deficit quickly grew to 4-0 with a two-run Looby single and a run-scoring single from junior left fielder Joseph Mullin (Warrington, Pa.). Following the Griffins early production pitching took over.
 
Hopkins was on from the start. He held the Eagles scoreless through six innings, as the visitors looked to rally with a run in the top of the seventh frame, 4-1. Graduate pitcher Micah Winterstein (Philadelphia, Pa.) relieved Hopkins with a scoreless eighth inning which allowed the Griffins to reestablish their advantage at a comfortable 8-1 with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Puskar led-off with a double and after a liner to second base, a Looby single moved him to third for a run-scoring single from freshman second baseman Martin Venafro Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.), 5-1. Following an Eagle pitching change, a double steal allowed a single from McLaughlin to plate Looby, 6-1, and bring another Eagle arm to the mound. Freshman left fielder Brian Happ (Warrington, Pa.) would come through with a two-run single to give the Griffins the 8-1 advantage. Winterstein took care of the rest, keeping the Eagles off the bases in his first save of the season. Hopkins improved to 2-1, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out five.
 
Raia was just as impressive in game two, keeping the Eagle scoreless through seven frames. Meanwhile the Griffins offense made the most of eight hits and five Eagle errors as they built a 7-0 advantage by the end of the seventh inning. A two-out double spoiled Raia's masterpiece in the eighth inning, 7-1, but he left the mound with the game in hand as Crane took for the twin bill's final frame. He worked through the Eagle ninth allowing one run on one hit and a walk to preserve Raia's victory (2-0) and earn the Griffins a CACC series sweep. Raia allowed one run on three hits and five walks while striking out seven.
 
The baseball team breaks from their CACC schedule for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at Briarcliffe College on Sunday, March 17.