PITTSBURGH, Pa. – April 18, 2021 – The Chatham baseball team ended W&J's program-record 22-game winning streak in Sunday's split with the Presidents in game one 4-3 before falling in game two 9-2. Chatham's record improves to 7-15 overall, 6-11 in PAC play.
 
Chatham jumped ahead early after setting down the Presidents 1-2-3 in the first. First-year Dylan Vogel led off with a single, stole second and later scored on a fielder's choice. The Cougars led 1-0 through four innings.
 
W&J would counter with all three of its runs in the top of the fifth. However, the Cougars tied the game in the bottom of the singles with a pair of RBI singles by junior Mason Akers and first-year Justin Marshall.
 
With the score tied at three in the bottom of the eighth, senior Logan Kasper reached after a throwing error by the Presidents' shortstop. He stole second and then advanced to third after senior Jonathan Scarsella singled into left field. With two runners in scoring position, junior Nico Cuello provided what proved to be the game-winning play with a SAC fly that brought home Kasper.
 
With its 22-game winning streak in jeopardy, the Presidents got a one-out single to put the tying run on base. Junior Erik Napolitano got the final two outs and the win to halt the Presidents' undefeated streak.
 
Chatham collected 10 base hits compared to W&J's seven and only committed one error in the field. Scarsella and Akers each had a pair of base hits, with Scarsella and junior Caleb Lehman smacking a double.
 
First-year Dominic Costellic got the start and pitched 4.2 innings, getting two strikeouts before being relieved by Napolitano. The reliever tossed 4.1 scoreless innings and earned the win.
 
Game two didn't start off as strongly as the first contest, with W&J scoring four runs in the second on a passed ball, SAC fly and double. The Cougars got half of that total back in the third with a Kasper 2-RBI single, the only runs Chatham pushed across in the second game. The Presidents scored five runs in the sixth to finish the game at 9-2.
 
Kasper and senior Ryan Shawley each connected on a pair of base hits, with the other knocks going to Akers and Cuello.
 
Five pitchers took the mound for the Cougars, starting with junior Trevor Salvior's 1.1 innings and two strikeouts. Relieving him was sophomore Cole Couchman, who took the loss in 2.2 innings pitched despite allowing just two hits and one strikeout. First-year Mason Schwartz struck out a hat trick of Presidents in his 1.1 innings pitched, while juniors Kelli Jenkins and Akers finished the game.
 
Chatham looks to carry the momentum into Wednesday's double header with Waynesburg at West Field, with the first pitch being slated for 7 p.m.