Box Score New Castle, Del. – (5/11/2013) – For the second time in as many days, #6 Chestnut Hill College and #1 Wilmington University squared off in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship baseball. Continuing to hold the kryptonite for the Griffins pitching, the Wildcats won their third straight CACC crown with a 15-0 victory. Senior pitcher Robert Hopkins (Philadelphia, Pa.), junior third baseman Raymond Puskar (Green Lane, Pa.), and freshman designated Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.) earned CACC All-Tournament Team honors for their play over the Griffins five-game postseason run.
 
The Wilmington University (40-12) bats began connecting in the second inning of today's CACC Championship competition. Single, double, triple, and the Wildcats owned a 2-0 advantage. Two hits batsman and a pair of inning-ending grounders added one more, 3-0. They extended the margin to 5-0 in the third inning with three two-out hits then knocked sophomore pitcher Dominic Raia III (Philadelphia, Pa.) (7-4) from the game in fourth inning with two scattered singles and another run, 6-0. The Wildcats added two more runs in the fifth inning on a lead-off walk and the succeeding triple from senior left fielder Brandon Payne (New Castle, Del.), 8-0. Chestnut Hill College (20-27) was able to slow the avalanche in the sixth and seventh frames, but with a seven-run eighth inning the Wildcats found their way to a 15-0 victory.
 
CACC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the championship game's winning pitcher, sophomore Frank Samluk (Middletown, Del.) (4-1) allowed only four hits and a walk over seven innings of work. Payne topped the Wildcats offensive numbers with a 4-for-5 (80.0%), three runs-batted-in (RBI) performance.
 
The Griffins hits came from junior center fielder Desmond Lites (Philadelphia, Pa.), with one out in the second inning; Looby leading off the fourth with a double, senior catcher Timothy DiMonte (Downingtown, Pa.) following a two-out beaming of junior left fielder Joseph Mullin (Warrington, Pa.) in the fifth, and a one-out sixth-inning single from freshman first baseman Patrick Campion (Norristown, Pa.).

Joining Hopkins, Puskar, Looby, and Samluk on the CACC All-Tournament Team were Dominican College's senior outfielder Tony Blake (Windsor, Conn.), Felician College's sophomore pitcher Jerry Vastro (Atl. Highlands, N.J.) and junior middle infielder Aaron Brill (West Palm Beach, Fla.), and four of Samluck's teammates; sophomore designated hitter Sam Goines (Wilmington, Del.), sophomore pitcher Ray Gambone (King of Prussia, Pa.), junior first baseman Joe Marciano (Woodbridge, N.J.), and Payne.
 
Prior to the start of today's championship contest, four graduating Griffins were presented their diplomas, while dawned with cap and gown, by Chestnut Hill College Head Coach Robert Spratt and Director of Athletics and Recreation Lynn Tubman (VIDEO). The honored party included pitcher Travis Kakareko (Westbury, N.Y.), outfielder/pitcher Ryan Lanzalotto (Downingtown, Pa.), DiMonte, and Hopkins.
 
The baseball team finishes the 2013 season, the best in program history, with a 20-27 overall record and 10-10 finish in CACC play. To check out all the championship action please visit the CACC Baseball Photo Gallery.