(box score)
Sophomore Rick Kazigian (West Chester, PA) pitched eight great innings to earn Widener a critical 6-2 Commonwealth Conference win over Elizabethtown in Chester, PA.
Elizabethtown manufactured the first run of the game in the top of the first. Lead-off man Rodney Francis led off with a single up the middle and stole second. The next batter, Matt Vinagro, advanced Francis to third on a sacrifice bunt and Steve Motika drove him home with a sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 lead.
Widener could only reach base once in the first two innings, but broke through for six runs in the bottom of the third. The Pride (15-9, 9-4 CC) sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning, which was highlighted by a two-out, two-run long ball to right by freshman Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL), his fourth of the season and second in as many games.
Kazigian (2-2) retired nine in a row in the first three innings, including striking out the side in the second and fanning the fourth straight Blue Jay to begin the top of the third. Elizabethtown threatened in the seventh, putting runners at the corners with just one out, but he got the next two hitters to pop out to end the inning. Kazigian finished with six strikeouts and allowed just six hits, two walks, and two runs.
After a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth, senior Alex Gelegotis (Harleysville, PA) relieved Kazigian and struck out the side by retiring the only three batters he faced.
Juniors Tom DeAngelis (Pottstown, PA) and Alex Oliver (Lebanon, NJ) each had two hits to extend their respective hitting streaks to a team-season-high 12 games.
Brian Kiernan had two hits for the Blue Jays (20-10, 9-4), including a solo home run. Todd Leister pitched four scoreless innings in relief, retiring the first 10 batters he faced and allowing just two hits and striking out six. He also got out of a one-out, bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh by striking out the next two hitters.
Widener on Saturday travels to Elizabethtown for a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader, beginning at noon.
