North Wales, Pa. - (4/16/2021) – Chestnut Hill College picked up their third and fourth Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) win of the week with today's doubleheader sweep of Caldwell University. The opener was an instant Scarlet and Gold Classic as the Cougars negated early Griffins runs with a five-run fifth inning and grabbed an 8-5 extra-inning edge only for sophomore first baseman Corbin Dunnuck (Mohnton, Pa.) to send a 3-0 fastball into the Hostelley Field parking lot for a bottom of the eighth walk-off grand slam, 9-8. Chestnut Hill College used the momentum and a superb pitching performance from junior Thomas Hughes (Phoenixville, Pa.) (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 K) to control the nightcap to an 8-1 end.
Hot off the game-one stunner, Chestnut Hill College (7-11, 4-7) scored two first-inning runs to kick off game two. Senior designated hitter Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) led off with a single to center and quickly returned home on the following double to right center from junior Sam Barletta (Royersford, Pa.), 1-0. Barletta was the second Scarlet and Gold run, crossing on Dunnuck's single through the right side, 2-0. The Griffins added to their advantage with a third-inning sacrifice fly from freshman third baseman Greg Sylvester (Trevose, Pa.), 3-0, but gave the run back in the top of the fourth, 3-1. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman second baseman Nate O'Donnell (Hatfield, Pa.) led off with a home run to centerfield before junior first baseman Andrew Dietz (Warrington, Pa.) sacrificed in the fifth Scarlet and Gold run, 5-1. Chestnut Hill College added three more in the fifth inning, further supporting Hughes who struck out the side in the second and went untouched through three innings on his way to his first win (1-2) of the season. Senior Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.) (1.0 IP, 1K) finished the 8-1 Griffin victory with a perfect seventh frame.\
Chestnut Hill College scored first in the opener with third-inning solo home runs from freshman shortstop Nick Delacruz (South Brunswick, N.J.) and Uzzell, 2-0. In the fourth inning, the Griffins doubled their run total with bases-loaded single from freshman right left fielder Zach Ahmed (Las Vegas, Nev.), 3-0, and a Uzzell sacrifice fly, 4-0. Dietz helped himself with a one-out home run in the fifth inning, 5-0, but the Griffins gave up five Cougar runs in the top of the sixth inning to bring all things even, 5-5. From there, the contest remained tied until the extra inning.
In the eighth, Caldwell University scored three runs with one-out, home run over the left field fence, 8-5. But the visitor's blast was just a precursor to the Scarlet and Gold's final at-bat, where Barletta drew a walk from a fresh Cougar reliver to join Uzzell on the base-paths. The duo moved 90 feet on a Dietz walk and all three of them returned to the Chestnut Hill College dugout in celebration after Dunnuck's monster shot finally landed in the Hostelley Field parking lot, 9-8.
Dietz had a strong start, striking out 10 over his seven innings of work. He only allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks. Sophomore Dan Rockenbach (Holland, Pa.) (1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB) was the benefactor of the Dunnuck dinger, earning his fourth win (4-0).
Chestnut Hill College continues a busy CACC week on the road as they travel to Roosevelt Park on Sunday, April 18, for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader versus the University of the Sciences.
