Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Miami Gardens, Fla. - (3/4/2018) – Chestnut Hill College began their 2018 season with a three-game series at Florida Memorial University. There, the Griffins used a complete game effort and six strikeouts from junior Matthew Kress (Lansdale, Pa.) (1-0) to split a Saturday evening doubleheader with a 7-1 victory in game two. Junior left fielder Eric Small (Downingtown, Pa.) was 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles, two runs, three walks, and three stolen bases (3-of-4), while sophomore third baseman Nicholas Smalley (Blue Bell, Pa.) and senior first baseman Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.) each recorded three hits in the series.
 
Chestnut Hill College (1-2) used a three-run fourth inning to tie the first game at 4-4, but Florida Memorial University (12-6) scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to separate for a 10-4 win. Respective lead-off and one-out doubles from Owens and Small plated the Griffins first run of the season in the second inning and cut the Lion lead to 3-1. The home side added a tally in the third inning, 4-1, but a three-run Griffin fourth inning brought all things even. A one-out walk to senior shortstop Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.), a balk, a wild pitch, and an Owens single to the hole at short plated the first. The next two crossed on another single to short by junior Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.). Unfortunately the Chestnut Hill College pitching staff had trouble retiring Florida Memorial University in their next two at-bats as the Lions scored six runs to capture the first game of the series.
 
Looking for revenge, the Griffins performed much better behind Kress in the Saturday nightcap. A bases-loaded singled from junior right fielder David McBrearty (Sicklerville, N.J.) gave Chestnut Hill College a 1-0 lead in the second inning. After Florida Memorial University answered in the bottom of the second inning, 1-1, but a Craig single and a sacrifice fly from junior catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.) turned a Smalley lead-off double into a two-run third inning, 3-1. Smalley singled in another run in the fourth inning, where the Griffins added a second run on an Owens single to third, 5-1. The Scarlet and Gold added their last two runs in the fifth inning, where senior Evan Grimes (Norristown, Pa.) and sophomore second baseman Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) batted in runs, 7-1.

The Griffins came out swinging in Saturday's rubber match with five runs in the top of the first inning thanks to lead-off hits from Uzzell and Small and a pair of Lion errors, 5-0. Florida Memorial University cut the spread to 5-1 in the bottom of the second, but allowed Chestnut Hill College to get the run back on a one-out, McBrearty single in the third inning, 6-1. Unfortunately, the Lion relief quieted the Griffin bats in the later innings. Meanwhile, the home bats rallied for eight runs for an eventual 9-6 win over the Scarlet and Gold.
 
The Chestnut Hill College baseball team continues their Spring Break slate tomorrow, Monday, March 4, at Barry University with a 12:00 p.m. contest versus Stonehill College.