Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Norristown, Pa. - (4/25/2015) – Senior Day was the backdrop to a spirited doubleheader against Post University this afternoon, as Chestnut Hill College and the Eagles dueled with a potential bye in the upcoming Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Tournament on the line. Senior pitcher Dominic Raia III (Philadelphia, Pa.) was masterful in the opener, striking out nine in a one-hitter as the Griffins staked their claim to the conference's No. 2 seed with a 7-0 shutout. Unfortunately, despite 10 sparkling innings from junior Zachary Crim (Horsham, Pa.), the Eagles kept their hopes alive by eking out a 3-2, 11-inning victory in game two.
 
Raia had everything working in his 40^th career start for Chestnut Hill College (25-10, 15-5), retiring 17 Post University (18-15, 13-5) batters in a row following a first-inning walk. Held down for the first three frames, the Griffins gave their senior ace a cushion with six two-out runs over the next two innings. Senior third baseman Taylor Steen (New Egypt, N.J.) lashed a single into left field to plate classmate Michael McLaughlin (Philadelphia, Pa.) with the afternoon's first run, 1-0, and freshman second baseman Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) came through with an RBI single through the right side, 2-0. The big blow came when junior first baseman Patrick Campion (Norristown, Pa.) ripped a two-run double down the right-field line, putting a topper on a four-run fourth.
 
After a six-pitch fifth by Raia, Chestnut Hill College tacked on two more insurance runs in the bottom half, courtesy of a wild pitch and another run-scoring single by Steen, 6-0. An RBI groundout by sophomore center fielder Brandon DiBona (Southampton, Pa.) capped the scoring, 7-0, in the eighth.
 
Raia carried his bid for a second career no-hitter into the eighth, but Post University junior second baseman Jeff Thoburn (Saint-Lazare, Quebec) punched a base hit through the right side to break up Raia's chance at history. The right-hander recovered to get out of the inning unscathed and needed only seven pitches to polish off his sixth career complete game, inducing a weak grounder on his 100^th pitch to close out the 7-0 final. Raia (7-1) struck out nine and walked two in matching his own single-season school record for wins, set in 2013. Steen finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI to pace the offense, while Campion was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Craig (2-for-5) tripled, scored a run, and drove in another.
 
Game two was a bonafide pitcher's duel, as three Eagle hurlers locked horns with Crim after a pregame ceremony honoring the Griffins' eight-man Class of 2015. The right-hander allowed his only run of the day when sophomore second baseman Drew Deangelis (Robbinsville, N.J.) tripled to lead off the third and scored on a single by senior catcher Brian McKenna (New York, N.Y.), 1-0. The Griffins equalized in the seventh, when junior Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.) singled, stole second, and came around on a single by McLaughlin, 1-1. Despite continued brilliance from Crim, who became the first Griffin to pitch more than nine innings since 2012, the Griffins were unable to get him a win before he gave way to senior closer Vincent Manzella (Matawan, N.J.) for the 11^th. The Eagles capitalized quickly on Crim's absence, with a single, triple, and sacrifice fly providing the visitors a 3-1 advantage. The home side finally came to life in its last at-bat, cutting the deficit in half on an RBI single by Campion, but could do no more damage as Post University left with a tight 3-2 triumph.
 
Crim scattered seven hits without a walk in his best start of the season, whiffing nine Eagles over his 10 innings. McLaughlin went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while DiBona doubled and scored in the ninth.
 
Chestnut Hill College completes its CACC schedule with a 15-5 mark, the best in program history. The Griffins will need first-place Wilmington University (18-0 CACC) to defeat Post University once in a Tuesday doubleheader to earn the No. 2 seed and the bye that accompanies it in the CACC Tournament. The Eagles would clinch second place with a sweep.
 
The Griffins return to Latshaw-McCarthy Field for a single, non-conference game against Philadelphia University at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28.