GREENVILLE, Pa. – April 24, 2021 – The Chatham baseball team split Saturday's double header at Thiel College, losing the first game 6-0 and holding on for a game two win 7-5. The Cougars' record improves to 8-16 overall and 7-12 in PAC play.
 
Game one was not a great start for the Cougars, who had as many hits as errors with four. Out of all six runs surrendered by Chatham, only two of them were earned. Thiel scored four runs in the third inning and got insurance in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
The most productive batting performance in game one came from senior Jonathan Scarsella, who went 2/3 and stole a base. Other base hits came off the bats of first-years Dylan Vogel and Justin Marshall.
 
Senior pitcher Ryan Shawley took the loss on the bump despite striking out six Tomcats and allowing a pair of earned runs. First-year Mitchell Thornton pitched the sixth inning.
 
Chatham wasted little time getting to work in game two. After Scarsella stole third on a walk issued to Shawley, a throwing error by the Thiel catcher allowed the senior to come home and score. Senior Andrew Clark later brought home Shawley on an RBI single and Cuello laced his first hit of the game, scoring junior Caleb Lehman.
 
Chatham wouldn't score until the fourth inning, when sophomore Brandon Griener smacked his second collegiate home run to lead off the frame. Shawley and Cuello recorded a pair of RBI singles to give the Cougars a comfortable six-run lead. Little did they know, this was the cushion they needed in order to put away Thiel.
 
The Tomcats countered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, putting the score at 6-2. That tally would remain until the seventh, when Chatham got an extra run scored thanks to an RBI single from first-year Frankie DeLuca.
 
Thiel added two more on a two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh and then got to within two in the eighth with another home run. With Thiel threatening after putting the tying run at first with two outs, reigning PAC pitcher of the week Erik Napolitano finished off the Tomcats by forcing a ground out.
 
Chatham drastically improved from the first contest in virtually every category, recording 13 base hits in all forms. Scarsella had a double, Cuello clobbered a triple and Griener hit his second dinger of the year. Four Cougars had two or more hits, led by Cuello's 4/4 day with two RBIs and a run scored. Scarsella, Lehman and Griener each had a pair of hits.
 
Senior Austin Andonisio went 6.2 innings and earned his third win of the season, allowing just four runs. Napolitano finished the final 2.1 innings and earned the first Cougar save of the year.
 
Chatham and Thiel do it again tomorrow at West Field with a 1:00 p.m. start time.