(Game One) /
(Game Two)
Senior Kevin Culbert (Brookhaven, PA) threw a brilliant one-hitter in a 4-1 Widener win over Scranton in game two, following a 10-4 defeat in the first game in Chester, PA.
Culbert held the Royals without a hit through six innings and struck out the first two hitters in the seventh. But Scranton catcher Michael Amaturo was able to fight off an inside pitch to left to break up the no-hit bid. Culbert (2-0) then struck out Matt Rayha to end the game for his ninth of the contest.
After three scoreless innings, Scranton got on the board in the fourth. With one out, Culbert loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Michael Trabulsi followed with a fielder's choice that scored David Giglio for a 1-0 Royals lead.
Widener manufactured all the offense Culbert would need in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL) led off with a single to left and junior Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA) followed with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt from senior Tom Mahoney (Norristown, PA), sophomore Matt Hone (Newtown, PA) laced a single to right to tie the game.
Senior Alex Oliver (Lebanon, NJ) drove home the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice, and scored on an RBI double to right center by junior Sean Saverio (Horsham, PA).
The Pride got off to a good start in game one. After walking the first two hitters of the game, junior starting pitcher Rick Kazigian (West Chester, PA) got Giglio to ground into a double play and stranded a runner on third when Greg Monastra grounded out.
Hone led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the right side, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by pitcher Corey Gorman. He scored on a ground out by Saverio. Three batters later, Hocker roped a two-out RBI double to left center for a 2-0 Widener lead.
Scranton came right back in the top of the second with two runs on no hits, taking advantage of three walks and a wild pitch. The Royals added four more in the top of the fourth, only two of which were earned. They did so on just two hits and two errors. Jason Lane made it 8-2 Scranton in the top of the fifth on a two-out, two-run double to left.
Senior Jason Brooke (Collegeville, PA) got one back for Widener in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly, but the Royals tacked on two more unearned runs in the top of the sixth.
Gorman (1-0) got the win, striking out three over four innings. Michael Gaeta went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Royals (3-1). Jesse Outhouse scored three runs.
Hone went 4-for-7 with two RBI and two runs in the doubleheader for the Pride (10-4). Hocker, who went 2-for-4 in game one, registered a hit in his sixth consecutive official at bat in the bottom of the fourth.
Widener on Wednesday travels to Collegeville, PA to take on Ursinus at 3:30 pm.
