(box score)
Widener took a four-run lead in the first inning and never looked back in a 9-5 win over Lebanon Valley in its first game Commonwealth Conference game of the season in Chester, PA.
Junior Dan Sieracki (Cherry Hill, NJ) sparked the Widener offense in the first inning with a three-run, opposite-field homer to right. Two batters later, sophomore Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL) drove a base hit up the middle for a 4-0 Widener lead.
Lebanon Valley got one back in the second on a lead-off home run from Jordan Witmer and added another in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Schwartz.
Seniors Alex Oliver (Lebanon, NJ) and Jason Brooke (Collegeville, PA) extended the Widener lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth with RBI singles to center.
Refusing to go away, Lebanon Valley came back with two in the top of the fifth. Aaron Mills gave the Dutchmen another lead-off home run on a shot to left center and Witmer doubled home another to make it a 6-4 contest.
Junior starting pitcher Jason Ferrie (Royersford, PA) sent Lebanon Valley down in order in the top of the sixth. Widener then scored two insurance runs on a double by junior Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA), his second of the game.
Lebanon Valley managed one more run from there, scoring on a fielder's choice by Mills in the eighth off of Widener junior reliever, Salvatore Spera (Norristown, PA). The run ended Spera's streak of 13 straight innings without allowing an earned run this season.
Brooke capped the scoring in the bottom of the eighth with a towering home run over the left field fence, his team-leading fourth of the season.
Ferrie (2-1) recorded the win, striking out three over seven innings. Spera struck out four in two innings of relief.
Sieracki finished with three hits, seven total bases and two runs scored for the Pride (11-4, 1-0 CC). Brooke notched three hits and three runs scored. Oliver, Hollingsworth and senior Tom DeAngelis (Pottstown, PA) all had two hits each. Oliver extended his hitting streak to six games, over which he is 12-for-20 with eight runs scored and six RBI.
Witmer finished with three hits for the Dutchmen (6-4, 0-1). Schwartz, Mills and Derek Brousseau all had two hits apiece.
Widener on Saturday travels to Annville, PA for a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader against Lebanon Valley, beginning at noon.
