Sam Christie's 11th-Inning Single Puts Baseball Back in the Conference Tournament

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Widener is back in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament, thanks to senior Sam Christie (Upper Darby, PA) lining an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning for an enthralling 8-7 victory over Elizabethtown and the squad's 10th straight win.

Widener appeared to have things in hand in the sixth inning with four runs for a 7-5 lead. Junior Josh Everett (Harveys Lake, PA) delivered the key blow with a bases-clearing double and senior Michael Riverso (Philadelphia, PA) added an RBI single.

But Elizabethtown, which already had erased a 3-1 deficit, scored once in the eighth and once in the ninth for a 7-7 tie. Dylan Manning lined a two-out run-scoring single in the eighth and Frank Ragozzino tied it in the ninth with an RBI single through the right side.

But Widener ended things in the 11th. Freshman Nicholas Enos (Williamstown, NJ) drew a one-out walk and took second on a wild pitch. After junior Edward Speakman (Chichester, PA) struck out, a fielding error by second baseman Kyle Fackler off a grounder from freshman Justin Healey (Ocean City, NJ) prolonged the inning. Christie made the Blue Jays pay by lining a single to center to extend the Pride's longest winning streak since a 12-game run in 2008.

Junior Matt Scherer (Havertown, PA) had three hits to run his hitting streak to eight games and two RBI with Christie also getting three hits. Brookhaven, PA senior Glenn Stanners (3-3) got the victory, allowing just a hit over two scoreless innings.

Ragozzino and Luke Gatti had four hits apiece with Ragozzino getting four RBI for the Blue Jays (13-15, 6-10 CC). Josh Sollenberger (1-2) was tagged for the loss, yielding the unearned run and one hit over 1 2/3 innings despite two strikeouts.

Widener (21-9, 12-4) remains tied atop the league standings with Alvernia (12-4), which today also punched its ticket into the four-team tournament.

Widener and Elizabethtown will battle Friday for the final time in the regular season as league opponents. The doubleheader at Elizabethtown starts at noon.

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