(Game 1) / (Game 2)
Senior Tom Connelly (Media, PA) had three hits, seven total bases and three RBI in the twin bill, leading Widener to a 9-6 Commonwealth Conference victory over Albright in the opener before an 8-2 victory in the nightcap on Senior Day in Chester, PA.
Widener took a 6-0 lead in game one, getting a clutch, two-out, two-run hit in each of the first three innings. Connelly opened the scoring in the first with a two-run double to left center. Junior Alex Oliver (Lebanon, NJ) added a two-run single in the second and sophomore Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA) made it a six-run cushion with a home run to left center in the third.
Albright made things interesting in the top of the fourth, plating three runs to cut the lead in half at 6-3. Jojo Fischer led off the inning with a single. After a ground out, Justin Danser singled to score him. Tommy Canuso doubled to score Danser, and two batters later, scored on a fielding error.
Widener responded with a three-spot of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Colin Keelan (Ellicott City, MD) drove a two-run double down the left-field line in the inning and junior Tom Mahoney (Norristown, PA) roped an RBI single to right for a 9-3 lead.
Sophomore Jason Ferrie (Royersford, PA) improved to 7-1, striking out five over seven innings. Connelly, Hollingsworth, Mahoney and sophomore Dan Sieracki (Cherry Hill, NJ) all had two hits each.
Danser gave Albright a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the top of the first in game two, but Widener wasted no time, taking the lead back with two runs in the bottom on sacrifice flies by Sieracki and freshman Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL). The Pride (21-10, 14-4) made it 3-1 in the third on a long ball to left by Connelly.
After Albright got one back in the top of the fifth, Widener plated five unearned runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a two-out, two-run triple from senior Mike Villari (Holland, PA).
Senior Dan Gross (Coatesville, PA) allowed just one run over 5 2/3 innings in relief to improve to 2-1. Oliver went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. Mahoney and Villari had two hits each.
Jon Raymond had three hits and two RBI on the day for the Lions (9-27, 4-14).
Widener locks up the first seed in the conference tournament and secures its first regular-season league title since 1978, when it went 10-0 to win the Middle Atlantic Conference Southern Division. The Pride will face fourth-seeded Messiah on Thursday at 4:00 pm in West Lawn, PA.
Widener on Monday hosts Gwynedd-Mercy for its final regular season contest, beginning at 3:30 pm.
