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Baseball’s Season Ends in Crushing Fashion to No. 20 Case Western Reserve at the NCAA Tournament

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Baseball | 5/18/2014 12:00:00 AM

(box score)

Senior Glenn Stanners (Brookhaven, PA) could not have pitched better in a great outing that stretched to extra innings, but Widener yielded a run in the last of the 13th for a tough 3-2 loss to No. 20 Case Western Reserve at the NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional in Marietta, OH.
 
The loss ends an outstanding season for the Pride (33-13, 16-5 CC), who set the school record for most wins, most conference wins, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in school history and won the Commonwealth Conference title for the program's eighth league crown.
 
It also was a year the Pride notched at least 20 victories for the ninth time in 10 seasons.  The squad battled through two postponements and a regional with three ranked teams to win their first two NCAA Tournament games in a season for the first time since 1982.
 
Widener broke the ice in the top of the fourth inning for a 1-0 lead.  Senior Michael Riverso (Philadelphia, PA) singled to run his hitting streak to 11 games, was sacrificed to second by junior Matt Scherer (Havertown, PA), reached third on a flyout and scored when a grounder from freshman Greg McDonough (Ambler, PA) turned into a throwing error.
 
The Pride doubled their lead to 2-0 in the sixth.  Freshman Bob Barnett (Glenolden, PA) singled, stole second and scored when Scherer continued his torrid play with an RBI single through the left side.
 
CWR got one back in the bottom of the seventh before Widener got out of a jam.  The Spartans had runners on second and third with one out when Aaron Cain lifted a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 contest.  But Stanners got Jordan Dague to flyout for the third out to limit the damage.
 
The Pride, however, could not prevent the Spartans from tying things at 2-2 in the eighth.  Antonio Damiano led off with a bunt single, reached second on Andrew Frey's single and got to third on a fielder's choice with two outs.  But Kerrigan Cain came through with a bloop single to center that plated Damiano.
 
Widener looked like it would take the lead in the 12th inning when Barnett launched a deep fly ball to right with a runner on second.  Dague had other ideas by racing back to make a phenomenal catch just in front of the warning track to save the game.
 
The Spartans (34-11) then came through in the 13th.  Andrew Gronski had a leadoff double and was sacrificed to third by Kerrigan Cain before the Pride decided to intentionally walk the bases loaded with one out.  Aaron Cain then got his second RBI of the contest, ending the nearly three-hour game with a single to center to score Gronski.
 
Stanners simply pitched the game of his life in a tough no-decision, allowing just two runs – one earned – and five hits over 9 2/3 innings with four strikeouts.  Norristown, PA junior Robert Barth (7-2) pitched great in relief, but permitted the one run on three hits over 2 2/3 frames.
 
Junior Paul Shepherd (Secane, PA) had three hits with Barnett and Scherer getting two apiece for the Pride, who lost back-to-back games for the first time in six weeks.
 
Daniel Sondag (2-1) was the story for CWR, firing 7 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen and allowing just four hits.  Ray Kelly struck out four over the first 5 1/3 innings and Dague had two hits.
 
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Players Mentioned

Robert Barth

#25 Robert Barth

P
5' 11"
Junior
Michael Riverso

#13 Michael Riverso

OF/1B
6' 1"
Senior
Matt Scherer

#1 Matt Scherer

OF
5' 10"
Junior
Sport Management
Glenn Stanners

#34 Glenn Stanners

P
6' 1"
Senior
Bob Barnett

#4 Bob Barnett

OF
5' 8"
First Year
Paul Shepherd

#10 Paul Shepherd

C
5' 11"
Junior
Greg McDonough

#26 Greg McDonough

OF
5' 8"
First Year

Players Mentioned

Robert Barth

#25 Robert Barth

5' 11"
Junior
P
Michael Riverso

#13 Michael Riverso

6' 1"
Senior
OF/1B
Matt Scherer

#1 Matt Scherer

5' 10"
Junior
Sport Management
OF
Glenn Stanners

#34 Glenn Stanners

6' 1"
Senior
P
Bob Barnett

#4 Bob Barnett

5' 8"
First Year
OF
Paul Shepherd

#10 Paul Shepherd

5' 11"
Junior
C
Greg McDonough

#26 Greg McDonough

5' 8"
First Year
OF