The Chestnut Hill college Baseball team opened post-season play Friday afternoon with their Central Atlantic Collegiate conference first round best-of-three series at Jefferson University.
The #6 seed Griffins stayed alive, winning the first game against the #3 seed Rams, 10-8 before falling 12-3 in game two.
Michael Pascoe earned the win, tossing seven innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three. Pascoe also starred at the plate, hitting a solo home run in the top half of the eighth inning, breaking the school's single-season record for home runs with nine on the season. He also became the first Griffins player in program history to record 20 career home runs. His one RBI adds to his Griffin single season record, bringing his total to 55. His run scored on the home run was also the 100th of his career, making him the 4th player in program history to have 150+ hits, 100+ runs scored and 100+ RBI (133) for their career.
Wyatt Spinks hit a two-run home run and was one of five Griffins to have multiple hits in the opener, along with Pascoe, Nicholas Shiffler, Matthew Sharkey and Kenyon Motley.  Motley starred with both the bat and the glove, driving in four runs, three via a bases clearing double and made a diving stop in the field that turned into a double play for the Griffins in the ninth inning, taking the wind out of a Jefferson rally and saving two potential runs.
Brady Gustitus pitched to four batters in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Spinks put the Griffins on the board with a blast over the left field wall for a two-run home run and a 2-0 lead. An infield error in the bottom of the first led to Jefferson's first run.
The Griffins stole a run in the third inning when Aiden Myers was batting with Motley on third and Spinks on first. Spinks was running on the pitch which became ball four as Myers drew a walk. Jefferson's catcher threw down to second,  allowing Motley to steal home and give the Griffins a 3-1 lead.
The Griffins, now leading 3-2 in the sixth, doubled their run total as Motley delivered a long three-run double to right center field to clear the bases and give Chestnut hill a 6-2 lead.
Dylan Broderick had an RBI double in the seventh inning and Michael Melosky followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 8-2. Pascoe added his home run in the eighth inning to make the score 9-2.
Jefferson added three runs in the bottom of the eighth on Andre Holub's three-run home run to close within four 9-5 before Motley added his fourth RBI of the day, beating out an infield single to score Sharkey with the tenth CHC run.
The Rams rallied for three more runs in the bottom of the ninth, closing the gap to 10-8 before Gustitus sealed the win with the double play initiated by Motley and a flyout to centerfield.
In the second game, Jefferson scored in each of the first three innings, jumping out to a 6-2 lead en route to a 12-3 win.
Luke Schweiker took the loss , allowing four runs on five hits in two innings pitched.
Pascoe drove in his 56th run of the season with a sacrifice fly  with Griffins scoring their remaining two runs off of a wild pitch and an error.
Jefferson jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings before the Griffins got on the board in the top half of the third. Ryan McNichol was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Motley's double. He then scored on a wild pitch. Pascoe's sacrifice fly scored Motley and made the score 4-2.
The Rams added two runs in the bottom of the third to lead 6-2 before McNichol scored the Griffins' third run after an infield error making the score 6-3. A home runs by TJU's Julio Frometa Gomez made the score 7-3 and the Rams scored five times in the sixth to round out their scoring.
Game three of the series will take place on Saturday, May 2 2026 as the Griffins and the Rams square off one final time this season. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m. at TJU's Alumni Field.
