Baseball Keeps Rolling With 12-1 Win Over Swarthmore

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Widener had a solid offense and a tight defense in today's game against Swarthmore for a 12-1 victory in Chester, PA.

Freshman Robert Barth (Norristown, PA) got the start and had an impressing outing. In the top of the first inning he only had to face three batters. Lead-off batter Anthony Montalbano singled to center, but was not on the bases for long, as the number two batter hit into a fielder's choice as Pride shortstop Matt Hone (Newtown, PA) threw to Eric Von Stetina (Collegeville, PA) to get the lead runner at second. Barth then forced the third batter of the inning to hit into a classic 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

The Pride (7-4) did not hesitate to get runs across the plate, as the team tallied three runs from two hits in the bottom of the first inning. Von Stetina started things off with a lead-off walk and scored on a double to deep center field by senior Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA). With two outs and Hollingsworth taking a lead off of second base, sophomore Nick Cook (Cranford, NJ) took a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for his first career home run and the third for the Pride this season.

Swarthmore (11-3) scored its only run in the third inning, but was quickly shut down. On the flip-side of the third inning, Widener put two more runs on the scoreboard by stringing together three hits. With one out, Dan Sieracki (Cherry Hill, NJ) hit a double to right center and scored easily on Hollingsworth's double. Hollingsworth scored from third off of an RBI by Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL). Hocker, in the fifth, hit his first triple of the season to center field.

Widener put runs across the plate in every inning except for the second and eighth and forced Swarthmore to throw seven pitchers. In eight innings of offense, the Pride put 12 runs across with 14 hits and nine men left on base. Swarthmore had one run, 10 hits and 13 men left on base.

Offense was not the only strong suit of the Pride today, as there were several great defensive plays. Sieracki sacrificed his body for a dying ball in shallow center field and made the catch just before the ball was able to hit the grass. Hocker saved a run at third base when the Garnet tried to execute a safety squeeze with a runner on third breaking for home on a bunt. Hocker barehanded the ball and side-armed it to catcher Sean Saverio (Horsham, PA) just in time to get the runner out.

Saverio hit 3-for-5 on the day with two RBI. Hollingsworth extended his hitting streak to 11 games by hitting 3-for-3 with three RBI. Sieracki also ran his hitting streak to 11 games and Cook now is on a seven-game run.

Barth (1-0) pitched seven innings and gave up just eight hits and one earned run. Craig Ricks (Dallastown, PA) and Steven Mahoney (Norristown, PA) came into the game in relief. Ricks faced three batters in the eighth inning and sent them back to the dugout in order with two flyouts to center and the first strikeout for the Pride staff in the game. Mahoney was brought into the ninth inning to close out the game, and did so without letting up any runs.

The Pride open Commonwealth Conference action Saturday at home against Albright in a doubleheader beginning at noon.

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