Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
BOX TWO


PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Hilbert Baseball opened the 2023 season fast, making contact and building early leads against Chatham University in today's double header played on West Field.

The Cougars rallied late in both non-conference games, taking a 12-inning win before shutting the Hawks down in the top of the seventh inning for the win. 

Final Scores:
Game 1: Chatham 5, Hilbert 4, 12 innings
Game 2: Chatham 10- Hilbert 9
Records: Hilbert 0-2, Chatham 2-0

Game One:

• Thomas Evans homered to centerfield as the lead-off batter before Patrick Whelan tripled to left. Jack Duffek earned an RBI sac fly to score the Hawks second run at the start of the game.
• Michael Contini did a great job of keeping Chatham off balance until they plated a runner off an passed ball in the bottom of the third and added two more runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
• After Duffek singled, pinch runner Frank McCabe then stole second, and sprinted home off Derek Martinez RBI single to right center in the top of the 6th.The Hawks kept the pressure on, with speedy base runners. John Watson made it from first to third before the next batter walked. With bases loaded, Alex Ellison earned a SAC RBI scoring Watson and lifting Hilbert back on top, 4-3.
• Hilbert had a chance in the 7th to tack another run on, but McCabe, who doubled to get on base, was thrown out at home to end the inning.
• Chatham knotted the game in the bottom of the 7th and forced extra innings.
• Neither team manufactured more than one hit an inning until the Cougars put two together in the bottom of the 12th for a walk off single.
• Blaine Morgan (0-1) closed the game with 4.2 innings of solid work striking out two, walking one and giving up one run in defeat.
• Derek Martinez went 2 for 3 with an RBI while Evans earned the first home run of the 2023 season.

Game Two

• John Riviere-Vejas opened the nightcap with a triple right away and was knocked home off Evan's triple. Whelan earned an RBI sac to plate Evans just before Martinez poked a double to left field. Emanuel McClain hit an RBI single to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead early.
• The Cougars manufactured one run off two hits in the 2nd and tacked another run on in the third fueled by four consecutive hits.
• Hilbert added their first run in the fourth off a bases loaded walk and Martinez earned another RBI sac to plate the Hawks 5th run.
• Chatham jumped on top in the bottom of the 5th when they combined four hits, and two errors into five runs taking a 7-5 lead.
• Hilbert knotted the game in the 6th (7-7) after Evans belted his second homerun of the day just before Martinez pushed McCabe to third off his second double of the game.
• The Hawks shifted players around defensively in the 6th but trailed 10-7 by the top of the 7th.
• Chatham made a pitch change at the top of the inning, and after the Hawks placed two runners in scoring position after scoring one run, the Cougars made another pitch change. Jario Santos scored on a Whelan fielder's choice poke before the final out of the inning setting the 10-9 score.
• Evans went 2-for-4 and scored three runs with 2 RBIs while Riviere-Vejas led the Hawks with three hits along with two runs and Martinez earned two hits, both doubles in the night cap.
• Andrew Cole tossed five innings and struck eight out. Evans took the loss after tossing .2 innings.
  
  Up Next:

Hilbert, 0-2, hits the road next weekend when they travel to southeastern PA for back-to-back double headers against Rosemont College, February 25th and Valley Forge the next day.