CHESTERTOWN, Md. (Feb. 25, 2017) – Senior Kyle McKelvy (Collegeville, Pa.) won his first start of the season by throwing five strong innings in the opener and Bob Barnett (Glenolden, Pa.) belted a two-run triple to ignite the offense in the nightcap to help lead the Widener University baseball team to a twinbill sweep of Washington College on Saturday afternoon. The Pride won by scores of 4-2 and 8-3 to begin their 2017 campaign on a high note.

After having a potential home run taken away by senior Greg McDonough (Ambler, Pa.), who reached over the wall in center field to make an acrobatic catch, Washington College still found a way to plate the first run in the opener by capitalizing on a Widener fielding error. The Pride, however, responded by scoring twice in the top of the fourth when senior Nick Enos (Williamstown, N.J.) hit a two-run double to right center. Sophomore Stephen DeBellis (Marlton, N.J.) then doubled the margin an inning later by going yard to left.
 
The Shoremen attempted to rally and sliced the deficit in half thanks to getting a pinch-hit single to right off the bat of Jay Felts. But the hosts would not be able to regain the lead the rest of the way, as DeBellis doubled and later came home on a fielder's choice to produce the final outcome.
 
McKelvy picked up the victory for Widener by yielding two runs, including one earned, and five hits over five innings of work. He also fanned six and did not issue a walk to improve his record to 1-0 on the young season. Sophomore Bryson Turner (Mertztown, Pa.) and senior Elliot Snyder (Mountain Top, Pa.) each hurled one shutout inning of relief, and Snyder picked up a save by pitching a scoreless seventh. Washington College's Billy Griffin suffered the loss and dropped to 0-1 after giving up five hits and three runs in 4.2 innings. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk.
 
Widener got its bats going early in the nightcap by scoring once in the top of the first and three times in the third. Senior Mike Elfreth (Washington Township, N.J.) put the Pride on the board by coming home on a wild pitch, and was then plated again along with McDonough thanks to a two-run triple by Barnett. Healey then padded the lead and made it 4-0 by knocking in Barnett on a single to right.
 
Washington College (0-2), however, clawed back and made it a game again during the middle innings beginning when Evan Hirschbaum homered with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to give the hosts some life. A single up the middle by Joe Lozupone then brought the Shoremen within one, but that was as close as they would come for the remainder of the contest. Sophomore Nick D'Alessandro (Williamstown, N.J.) made it a 5-3 game with an RBI single in the top of the sixth, and McDonough added insurance by providing a two-run double to center and then scoring on an error to seal the final margin.
 
Senior Donovan Davis (Wallingford, Pa.) won his first start of the season for the Pride by striking out seven and walking only one in five frames. Joey Zettlemoyer (Downingtown, Pa.) earned the save by throwing two scoreless innings of relief, punching out three opposing hitters and not issuing a walk. The Shoremen's Brian Kasey suffered the loss and fell to 0-1 after giving up four runs, which were all earned, and five hits in three frames.
 
Widener (2-0) will return to action when it travels to the University of Delaware to face Scranton tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.