New Castle, Del. – (3/26/2019) – Runs in the third (1-0), fourth (2-0), and seventh (4-0) innings provided enough coverage for sophomore Billy Bethel (Yardley, Pa.) and the Griffins to secure a 4-3 victory over #24 Wilmington University in the opener of today's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader. Unfortunately, in the second game, Chestnut Hill College's two-run first inning was not enough to afford sophomore Thomas Hughes (Phoenixville, Pa.) the same luxury as the Wildcats cleared three runs in their final three at-bats of a 3-2 final.
 
Bethel (2-3) struck out six in the complete game effort; he allowed three Wildcat runs on eight hits and a pair of walks. Junior third baseman Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) (2-for-5) and sophomore first baseman Andrew Dietz (Warrington, Pa.) (3-for-5) each knocked in a run for Chestnut Hill College (9-13, 4-4) and were two of four Griffins to record multiple hits. The others were sophomore centerfielder John Contoudis (Jenkintown, Pa.) (3-for-4) and sophomore right fielder Sam Barletta (Royersford, Pa.) (2-for-5), who both scored a run along with senior catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.) and senior left fielder Franklin Ramirez (Reading, Pa.).
 
The Scarlet and Gold scored their first run of the afternoon in the third inning of game one thanks to a one-out double from Contoudis and a two-out single through the middle from Dietz, 1-0. They added a second run in the fourth inning with a one-out single from Ramirez, a stolen base, an a Uzzell double down the left field line, 2-0. In the seventh inning, three hits and a pair of Wilmington University (15-8, 5-3) errors produced two more Griffins runs, 4-0; just enough for Bethel to outlast the Wildcats, 4-3.
 
Dietz was 2-for-3 with two runs-batted-in (RBI) in game two. He recorded both RBI in the first inning, bringing home Contoudis and Gilham with a two-out double to left field, 2-0. Unfortunately, that was the only run support Hughes received as Wilmington University scored twice in the fifth inning, 2-2, and once in the seventh inning to walk off with a 3-2 victory. Uzzell (1-for-4), Barletta (1-for-3), junior designated hitter Dutch Reardon (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) (1-for-3), and freshman second baseman Luke LeBeau (Pittsfield, Mass.) (1-for-1) were responsible for the other four Chestnut Hill College hits. Hughes (0-2) allowed one earned run on three hits and six walks, while striking out four over 6.1 innings of work.
 
Chestnut Hill College continues their four-game CACC series with Wilmington University on Friday, March 29, when they return to Latshaw-McCarthy Field for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.