(box score)

Widener scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a tie and held on in the ninth for a 14-12 victory over Johnson & Wales to close its trip in Orlando, FL.

With the scored knotted at nine in the eighth, sophomore Dan Sieracki (Cherry Hill, NJ) and junior Jason Brooke (Collegeville, PA) walked to begin the frame.  Freshman Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL) looked to sacrifice both, but bettered that with a bunt single to load the bases.

Sophomore Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA) broke the tie with a bases loaded walk and freshman Max McCarthy (Deptford, NJ) lined an RBI single for an 11-9 lead.  Junior Tom Mahoney (Norristown, PA) added a run-scoring single, freshman Matt Hone (Newtown, PA) followed with an RBI single and sophomore Sean Saverio (Horsham, PA) had a run-scoring double for a 14-9 margin.

The Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the ninth, but sophomore Jason Ferrie (Royersford, PA) got Bryan Sayers to ground into a double play for the final.

Hollingsworth stole home in the first inning, when Widener scored six runs, had four RBI overall and two singles.  Hone contributed a triple and two RBI, Sieracki reached base four times with Brooke and Hocker rapping two hits apiece.

Ferrie (1-1) allowed four earned runs over three innings and recorded a strikeout for Widener (4-3), which won three of its last four on the journey.

Widener on Tuesday plays its home opener against Immaculata, beginning at 3:00 pm.