STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – May 4, 2022 – The force was not with the Chatham University baseball team Wednesday afternoon, as it fell in a doubleheader sweep to Franciscan 5-4 in extra innings in game one and 10-1 in game two. The sweep matches Chatham's overall record from last year at 12-23, with the conference record falling to 4-20.
 
The Cougars got out to a hot start with a leadoff single by sophomore Frankie DeLuca, one of four knocks in the first half of the twin bill. After a two-out error advanced Deluca to striking distance, first-year Quinn Burke brought him around for the icebreaking run
 
The Barons would take the lead in the bottom of the third after a run scored in the second and third frames. Chatham wound up tying the game in the fourth of the bat of sophomore Dylan Vogel, bringing home Burke on a double. When Franciscan gathered the lead right back, Chatham took a one-run lead off of another crucial swing by Vogel, this time scoring Burke and senior Caleb Lehman.
 
Chatham went on to hold the 4-3 lead throughout most of the latter regulation innings, but that lead disappeared with two on and two out, sending the contest into extra innings. Neither team broke through until the tenth, when Franciscan got back-to-back-to-back hits to walk it off.
 
The Cougars narrowly outhit the Barons 12-11 despite the extra inning defeat, paced by DeLuca's four hits. Burke, Vogel, and senior Luke Paulson each laced two hits while senior Nico Cuello and first-year Sam Helton had a knock each.
 
Five pitchers took the rubber, with junior Eric Paulin starting the first four innings and recording one strikeout, but that wring-up puts Paulin in a tie for most single-season strikeouts at 33. First-years Kole Mayle and Drew Schreck went the next 1.2 innings, with senior Ryan Denz wrapping up the 1.1 innings. First-year David McSorley took the loss in two innings of work.
 
With game one in the rear-view mirror and game two condensed into a seven-inning affair, Chatham could not get out of the starting gates. It was undone by one run in the first, but six more in the second, and an additional score in the fourth.
 
With the Cougars well behind, DeLuca brought in the only Chatham run of game two, a 6-3 putout scoring Helton in the fifth. Franciscan added on a couple insurance runs in the sixth to put the game to bed.
 
Lehman was the only Cougar to record multiple base hits. Helton, Cuello, Deluca, and first-year Tyler Cote were the culprits of the other knocks, as Chatham was doubled up on hits 12-6.
 
Starting and taking the loss in game two was first-year Dawson Morrow, being relieved by Mayle to finish the second. The rest of the game was tossed by sophomore Mason Schwartz, who went 4.0 innings and fanned two.
 
Chatham's final series of the season commences on Saturday when the Cougars host Waynesburg for a twin bill, which will also be Senior Day for the baseball team. The first game begins at 2:00.