Conference play began for the Chestnut Hill college Baseball team on Wednesday as they hosted Wilmington University for the first game of their three-game series.  The Wildcats scored most of their runs in one big inning as the handed the Griffins a 9-2 defeat at Hostelley Field in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

The Griffins are now 6-13 overall and 0-1 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games.  The Wildcats are now 8-9 and 1-0 in league play.

Ben Bradt (0-3) took the loss for the Griffins, pitching four innings and allowing eight runs (five earned) and striking out one.

Wilmington struck first with single runs in the first and third innings before exploding for six runs in the fourth inning fueled by two Griffin errors to take an 8-0 lead. 

Zach Ahmed led off the fourth inning with a single  and later scored on an infield throwing error to plate the Griffins' first run.  Kade Breisblatt replaced Bradt on the mound and held the Wildcats scoreless for the next four innings.

Meanwhile, the Griffins' got a run back in the sixth inning as Eli Meredith led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a groundout.   Justin Geiger came up and was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game.  Geiger stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for cleanup batter Ahmaad Goldson.  Goldson delivered a single just past first base down the right field line, plating Meredith and moving Geiger to third.  Chestnut Hill than ran themselves out of a potential big inning when Geiger and Goldson attempted a double steal and Geiger was out at the plate and Goldson reaching second.  Goldson was then picked off to end the inning, leaving the Griffins trailing 8-2.

The Wildcats scored their final run in the ninth, string a pair of hits together to round out the scoring. Ahmed got his second hit of the day in the ninth inning (and the Griffins' sixth on the afternoon) to lead off the ninth and moved to second on a ground out.  The next two Griffin hitters were struck out by Wilmington reliever Dom Grady to end the game.

The Griffins' baseball team will conclude their three-game set with Wilmington on Saturday, March 25, 2023 when the Wildcats host them for a doubleheader at Wilson Field in Wilmington, Delaware.  First pitch is set for noon.