Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Alvernia

(Game 1) / (Game 2)

Following a tough 2-1 loss in the opener, Widener saw its bats get hot in the nightcap and rolled to a 9-1 Commonwealth Conference triumph at Alvernia in Reading, PA.

Alvernia in game one cracked the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 2-0 lead. Chris Burns singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice, took third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch. Brok Martin later in the inning was hit by a pitch, reached second on a wild pitch and scored on Richie Ricciardi's single.

Widener got one back in the sixth. Bob Barnett (Glenolden, PA) singled and stole second, fellow freshman Justin Healey (Ocean City, NJ) walked and both advanced on a wild pitch. After junior Edward Speakman (Chichester, PA) walked to load the bases, senior Sam Christie (Upper Darby, PA) drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Barnett.

The Pride in the seventh had the tying run in scoring position after junior Matt Scherer (Havertown, PA) walked and stole second with two outs, but Barnett flied out to right to end it.

Blackwood, NJ sophomore Joe Santone (2-2) pitched great in a tough loss, allowing just two runs and five hits over six innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Scherer notched two of Widener's six hits.

Mike Weinhold again was a thorn in Widener's side, striking out 11 over 6 2/3 innings and yielding only one run and five hits. Kevin Becker-Menditt got the final out for the save.

Widener had a much better result in game two, getting all the runs it would need with four in the top of the second for a 4-0 cushion. Junior Paul Shepherd (Secane, PA) lined an RBI single, freshman Michael Elfreth (Washington Twp., NJ) followed with a run-scoring double and senior Michael Riverso (Philadelphia, PA) added a two-run single.

Scherer ripped an RBI triple in the fifth to make it 5-1 before the Pride (11-8, 5-4 CC) added four more in the sixth for a 9-1 cushion. Healey had the key hit in that inning with a two-run single to close the scoring.

Riverso had three RBI and three hits in the nightcap with Elfreth also getting three hits for the Pride. Scherer and Shepherd each had two hits apiece.

Red Hill, PA senior Colin Weiss (2-0) got the victory, allowing just an unearned run and three hits over seven innings with three strikeouts.

Steve Price yielded five runs – one earned – and seven hits over five innings with five strikeouts for the Crusaders (13-5, 7-2).

Widener is back on the road Tuesday to visit TCNJ for a 3:30 pm start in Ewing, NJ.

Print Friendly Version