Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Ft. Pierce, Fla. – (3/5/2016) – Chestnut Hill College concluded their time at Ft. Pierce, Florida's Lawnwood Stadium and their spring trip competition with a pair of doubleheader versus West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) on Friday, March 4, and today, Saturday March 5. The Bobcats took the first two contests 9-5 and 9-7 before the Griffins evened the score with wins of 7-2 and 3-2 on the second day of play. Junior right fielder Joseph Monaghan (Doylestown, Pa.) (6-for-12, 3 RBI, 4-for-4 SB) and sophomore second baseman Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.) (5-for-13, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 4-for-4 SB) carried the Griffin offense while day-two victories were claimed by junior transfers Matthew Kress (Lansdale, Pa.) (1-1) and Justin Harnett (Aberdeen, N.J.) (1-2).
 
Craig had a four-hit twin bill on the first day. Including Monahan, three other Griffins recorded three hits between the two games, but it was still not enough offense to beat West Virginia Wesleyan College (6-6) on either end of the doubleheader. In the opener, the Bobcats owned a 4-2 lead after three innings. They scored a run in each of the first two innings, 2-0, and two more in the third inning, 4-0, before Chestnut Hill College (3-8) got on the scoreboard with a one-out beaning of senior centerfielder Dalton Cozart (Commerce Twp., Mich.), a Craig double to centerfield (4-1), and a Monaghan single to centerfield, 4-2. The Scarlet and Gold scored another run in the fourth inning with a two-out walk to freshman third baseman Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.), an error by the Bobcat shortstop, and a run-scoring Cozart single, 4-3. But is as close as the Griffins would get with WVWC winning the latter innings 5-2. The Griffins last two runs came across with a ninth-inning two-out walk to junior shortstop Jonathan Baturgil (Freehold, N.J.), a Monaghan beaning, another error on the Bobcat shortstop, a beanball for senior first baseman Patrick Campion (Norristown, Pa.)(9-4), and walk to sophomore pinch hitter Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.), 9-5.
 
Game two saw the Bobcats establish a 9-3 lead after two innings. The Griffins scored a run in the first inning on a Craig double to right center, a Monaghan single to center field, and an error by the Bobcat centerfielder, 7-1. They responded to the WVWC's two second-inning runs with a Szumigala lead-off single, a Baturgil double down the left field line, a Cozart ground-out to second base (9-2), and a Craig ground-out to short, 9-3. The Scarlet and Gold added two more runs in both the fourth; on Baturgil fielder's choice and a Craig double (9-5), and sixth innings; on a Bobcat error, a Craig single, a Campion single (9-6), and Monaghan sacrifice fly (9-7), but again they would fall short of their goal.

The Griffins were more fortunate on their second day of competition versus WVWC. They plated five runs in the fourth inning and two more in the seventh to match the Bobcats' fleeting effort. Owens doubled to lead-off the frame. It was followed by a Monaghan single (1-0), an error by the Bobcat pitcher (2-0), an error by the Bobcat third baseman, a grounder to third base from junior third baseman Austin DiBonaventure (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) (3-0), a Craig bunt single and stolen base, a Campion grounder to short (4-0), and a Szumigala single to left field (5-0). In the sixth inning, DiBonaventure led off with a single to short before advancing all the way to third base on an error by the Bobcat pitcher. Craig was then hit and immediately stole second base only to score along with DiBonaventure on a Campion single to center field, 7-0. WVWC managed two sixth-inning runs, but that was all Kress allowed in a complete game effort. He allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
 
The grand finale was the lowest scoring contest of the series as Chestnut Hill College plated a run in each the second, third, and fourth innings to support at combined six-hit, five-walk, two-run performance by Harnett and DiBonaventure. WVWC scored first with a first-inning lead-off single manufactured a run after a fielder's choice, a walk, a beanball, and a single to right field, 1-0. The Griffins retaliated in the second inning with a lead-off single from senior left fielder Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.), a stolen base, a walk to senior catcher Robert Slagle III (Lafayette Hill, Pa.), a one-out Owens single, and a Baturgil fielder's choice, 1-1. They took the lead in the third inning with a two-out walk to Monaghan and a following Looby double, 2-1, and added an insurance tally in the fourth inning on a ground-out to third base from freshman right fielder David McBrearty (Sicklerville, N.J.), 3-1. The Bobcats threatened with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, 3-2, but DiBonaventure came to the rescue, securing the last out frame on a come-backer, before collecting his first save (1) with three scoreless innings relief.
 
The Chestnut Hill College baseball team is scheduled to return home and officially open Latshaw-McCarthy Field on Wednesday, March 9, when they host The Lincoln University in a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader.