PHILADELPHIA - The Thomas Jefferson University baseball team erased an early 3-1 deficit in a big way, scoring 14 runs after the third inning to rout Chestnut Hill, 15-4, in the semifinals of the CACC Tournament on Thursday.
 
The Rams (23-10), the South Division's second seed, will host the CACC Championship Game versus North #3 Dominican (N.Y.) on Saturday, May 15 at 1 p.m. Jefferson looks to capture its first CACC title in program history.
 
GAMEPLAY
The Griffins had the advantage early in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on an RBI single. Chestnut Hill increased the margin to two with an RBI double in the second. The Rams got one back in the bottom half with Efrain Santiago scoring on a balk. Another run-scoring base hit in the fourth gave the Griffins a 3-1 edge.
 
The Jefferson bats showed up in the bottom of the fourth with the Rams taking their first lead of the afternoon with a six-run frame. Santiago led off the inning with a homer to right center. Four runs scored on an error and Jefferson batted around in the frame, allowing Santiago to come back up and smack an RBI double.
 
The Rams put up four more in the sixth to go ahead 11-3. A hit by pitch and two walks loaded the bases for Santiago, who continued his stellar performance with a no-doubt-about-it grand slam over the left field fence. Chestnut Hill recorded a solo homer in the eighth but Jefferson added four insurance runs in the bottom of the stanza with a two-run single by Joe Cencetti, a run-scoring double from Arturo Figueroa, and an RBI base knock by Chris McLean, his first collegiate hit.
 
After Jefferson conceded the three early runs, Patrick Hohlfeld and Gunnar Hayes combined for 5.1 solid innings of relief, allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
 
QUICK HITS
Alex Gonzalez: 2-4, BB, 2 R
Efrain Santiago: 4-4, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, BB
Joe Cencetti: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Arturo Figueroa: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
Patrick Hohlfeld: Win, 3.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K
 
NOTES
- It is the second time that the Rams will compete in the final round of the CACC Tournament (2016).
- Jefferson and Dominican will square off in the CACC postseason for the third time with each team winning one of the previous two matchups (2008, 2016).
- It is Jefferson's first season with multiple playoff wins since 2016.