NORRISTOWN, Pa. – The Philadelphia University baseball team was upended by Chestnut Hill, 13-6 and 2-1, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader Wednesday afternoon on Latshaw-McCarthy Field.

Philadelphia is now 13-21 overall and 7-9 in conference play. Chestnut Hill improves to 17-15 overall, 12-6 against the CACC, and clinched a spot in the CACC Tournament.

GAME ONE
After trading a pair of runs in a first inning, the Griffins exploded for five runs on three hits in the second to take a 7-2 lead. Joseph Mullen had the big hit of the inning with a one-out, two-run double. Desmond Lites, Brendan Looby, and Taylor Steen each added a RBI.

The Rams got a run back in the third as senior center fielder Rick Reigner (Havertown, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) started the inning with a double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore right fielder Fernando Garza (Laredo, Texas/Alexander).

Chestnut Hill used three straight two-out hits to plate three runs in the bottom of the third to push its lead to 10-3. After Lites singled to put runners at first and second, Mark Woltemate delivered a base hit to right to plate Preston Koehler. Mullen came up next and doubled to left center to allow Lites and Woltemate to score.

In the fifth, Koehler led off the bottom half of the inning with a triple and scored the Griffins' 11^th run on a Lites fielder's choice.

The Chestnut Hill advantage grew to 13-3 in the seventh on a Looby single and a Steen sacrifice fly.

Philadelphia scored two unearned runs in the eighth on a Richard Cavazza wild pitch and a Nobel Unger fielding error.

Senior Chris Pelaez (Miami, Fla./Miami-Sunset) had a RBI fielder's choice in the ninth.

Reigner finished game one with three hits in four at-bats and scored three times, while senior first baseman Jordan Force (East Greenville, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) went 2-for-3.

The Griffins got two hits and four RBIs from Mullen and two hits for three RBIs from Steen.

Dane Gahr (3-3) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out one in seven innings. Sophomore starter Abraham Almonte (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) absorbed the loss as surrendered seven runs, two earned, on three hits in 1.1 innings.

GAME TWO
The nightcap was a duel between starting pitchers Garza and John Barnhardt for the first five innings with Philadelphia managing four hits, while Chestnut Hill had just two.

Then in the sixth, the Griffins broke through thanks to a Looby double that brought home Rafael Fernandez.

The Rams got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth on a fielding error by Patrick Campion to allow junior right fielder Ken McCormick (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) to score.

Michael McLaughlin put Chestnut Hill back in front 2-1 in the home half of the eighth with a single to right to plate Looby.

Barnhardt went eight innings, allowed one run on six hits, and fanned five to earn the win (2-4).

Vincent Manzella threw the ninth to record his fourth save.

Garza ended up with a no-decision striking out eight in six innings of action.

Junior reliever Stephen Dickerson (Columbus, Ohio) took the loss as he gave up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Looby, Slagle, and McLaughlin had two hits for the Griffins. Force went 2-for-4 to lead the Philadelphia offense.

Philadelphia closes out conference play with a home doubleheader against Nyack on Saturday, April 26 at noon.