Ruben Pichardo's sixth inning sacrifice fly produced the game winning run in the opening game of the Chestnut Hill College Baseball team's doubleheader against the College of Staten Island Friday afternoon at Hostelley Field in North Wales, Pennsylvania, giving the Griffins a 4-3 win in the opener. CSI went on to win game two 9-2 to split the two game series.
The Griffins are 5-11 overall after the split while the dolphins record improves to 6-10.
Pichardo's sacrifice fly scored
Ahmaad Goldson and gave the Griffins a 4-2 lead. Goldson had reached on a bunt single to open the inning and moved to third on
John Crane's double to left field.
Marlon Rose pitched three solid innings of relief allowing just one run on two hits while striking out two to earn his second relief win of the season.
Ben Bradt started and pitched four innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out two.
The team two exchanged first and fourth inning runs to reach a 2-2 deadlock heading into the fifth inning. The Griffins took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth when
Nate O'Donnell singled, stole second and later scored on
Andrew Sawarynski's double to left-center field.
Chestnut Hill manufactured its first run on two walks and a single from
Justin Geiger in the first inning.
Eli Meredith walked to lead off the game for the Griffins. He attempted to steal second as Sawarynski drew ball four for another walk and also drew a throw down to second base which sailed into the outfield, allowing Meredith to reach third on the errant throw. Geiger followed with the game tying single.
Geiger scored the Griffins' second run after singling in the fourth inning and moving to third on a two-base throwing error by the CSI catcher trying to pick him off at first base.
David Antone followed with a sacrifice fly to again tie the game at 2-2 where it stayed until the Griffins pulled ahead in the fifth inning.
In game two, the Dolphins got home runs from Dominick Castiglione and AJ Vigliotti as they scored nine runs off three different CHC pitchers in the first five innings en route to a 9-2 win.
Starter
Brandon Long gave up Castiglione's home run in the first inning while also striking out the side. He added his fourth strikeout in the second but struggled in the third, allowing three runs as the Dolphins took a 4-0 lead. Long suffered the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs in three innings of work while striking out five.
CSI Starter Ryan Kehoe held the Griffins scoreless and to just two hits through the first six innings of work. In Chestnut Hill's final at-bat,
Zach Ahmed led off with a walk, stole second and scored on Pichardo's ground-rule double to right field.
Mike Melosky drove in the Griffins' second and final run of the game on a fielder's choice as
Aiden Nesemeier scored while Antone was being forced out at second.
Kehoe finished the game with 12 strikeouts and improved to 2-1 with the win.
The baseball team is back in action on Sunday, March 19, 2023 when they travel to play Lincoln University for a regional doubleheader. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m.
