Baseball Splits Two from Lebanon Valley

(Game 1) / (Game 2)

Widener opened Commonwealth Conference play with a 10-2 home thrashing of Lebanon Valley before it was handed a tough 8-7, eight-inning loss despite a five-run rally in the final two innings.

Game one was put out of reach in the fifth inning, when the Pride (7-4, 1-1 CC) scored five times to open a 9-2 lead. Matt Scherer (Havertown, PA) lined an RBI single to left and later scored on a throwing error, fellow junior Paul Shepherd (Secane, PA) laced a two-run single and senior Sam Christie (Upper Darby, PA) added an RBI single.

Freshmen Bob Barnett (Glenolden, PA) and Michael Elfreth (Washington Twp., NJ) continued their torrid play with two hits apiece with senior Michael Riverso (Philadelphia, PA) getting two RBI groundouts.

Norristown, PA junior Robert Barth (3-0) was not to be denied, striking out eight over seven innings and yielding only two runs – one earned – and six hits.

Austin Hornberger (1-2) was tagged for four runs and three hits over three innings with three strikeouts for the Dutchmen (6-5, 1-1). Tim Filer had two hits and Zach Smith added an RBI single in the fifth.

Down 7-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning in game two, Widener got two runs on Riverso's RBI double and a run-scoring single from junior Edward Speakman (Chichester, PA).

Then things got real interesting in the seventh, when the Pride got three home for a 7-7 tie. Riverso again was the man with a two-run single to forge a 7-6 deficit and Shepherd leveled things with a two-out, bases-loaded walk.

But LVC got one across in the eighth for an 8-7 lead. Corey Cinicola walked and reached third base on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt. He was not at third base long as Phill Dohner lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to once again put the Dutchmen ahead.

Elfreth reached in the bottom of the eighth on a one-out single, but could get no further.

Riverso had three hits and three RBI, giving him at least a hit in eight contests this season. Elfreth had two hits and leads the Pride with seven multi-hit games.

Christie had a hit in each contest to extend his hitting streak to eight games, but Scherer went hitless in game two and had his streak dating to last season stopped at 12. Riverso (0-1) pitched the eighth inning.

Mike Specht (1-1), who came in from left field to close the seventh inning and then went back to the outfield in the eighth, allowed no runs over 2/3 of an inning for the win. Corey Sell got a strikeout in the eighth for the save.

Smith amassed three hits with Dohner and Brett Fundell getting two apiece for LVC.

Widener is on the road Tuesday at Neumann for a 3:30 pm start in Aston, PA.

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