Box Score Norristown, Pa. - (4/29/2015) – A late Chestnut Hill College rally fell just short as University of the Sciences (USciences) escaped Latshaw-McCarthy Field with a 7-6 triumph in tonight's non-conference contest. Freshman second baseman Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.), senior third baseman Taylor Steen (New Egypt, N.J.), and freshman right fielder Patrick Kelley (Pipersville, Pa.) offered multi-hit performances in the Griffins' final tune-up for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Tournament.
 
Chestnut Hill College (26-11) grabbed a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout by junior designated hitter Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.) in the bottom of the third, but USciences (5-27) retorted with three markers in the next frame, 3-1, courtesy of a pair of hits and a successful suicide squeeze. After the Devils tacked on another in the sixth, 4-1, the Griffin bats came to life in the bottom half of the seventh, when Kelley brought home sophomore center fielder Brandon DiBona (Southampton, Pa.) with a hard-hit double to left, then stole third and scored when the catcher's throw got away, 4-3.
 
The clubs traded three-run eighth innings, with Steen's run-scoring single initiating the final Chestnut Hill College push and cutting the Devils' advantage to 7-4. Three batters later, senior Allen Umbenhauer (Whitehall, Pa.) chopped a single deep in the hole, scoring Steen to make it 7-5, and Craig followed with an RBI single to center, 7-6. Unfortunately, the Griffins left the bases loaded and, after Looby reached on an error to lead off the ninth and promptly stole second, were unable to push the tying tally across.
 
Sophomore third baseman Matt Miniconzi (Blackwood, N.J.) had two doubles and two RBI and scored twice for USciences, who also got a pair of RBIs from senior shortstop Dylan McHaffie (Georgetown, Pa.). Junior Michael Janas (Hatboro, Pa.) tossed five effective innings, surrendering an unearned run and scattering five hits, to earn the win (1-1).
 
Kelley finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, Steen matched those numbers on a 2-for-5 effort, and Craig was 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the Griffins. DiBona scored twice, and senior left fielder Michael McLaughlin (Philadelphia, Pa.) stole a base and added a run scored. Junior Joseph Monaghan (Doylestown, Pa.) surrendered three runs on two hits with three strikeouts and three walks over four innings in defeat (1-2). Senior Dane Gahr (Brick, N.J.) and junior Casey Kern (Stony Point, N.Y.) each threw a scoreless inning of relief, while senior Vincent Manzella (Matawan, N.J.) recorded five outs without allowing a run.

Chestnut Hill College now braces for the CACC Championship Tournament and a single-elimination, opening round contest against Felician College. The third-seeded Griffins entertain the sixth-seeded Golden Falcons at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.