ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Five players had multi-hit games as the Widener University baseball team took a 15-8 slugfest against the Elizabethtown Blue Jays in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Tommy McParland led the 18-hit attack, going 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored.
• Tommy Scharnikow had three hits and an RBI.
• Nathan Valenta, Brennan Taylor, and Daren Wood each posted two hits. Valenta drove in three, Taylor had two RBI, and Wood knocked in one.
• Every member of the Widener starting lineup had at least one hit.
• Joey Norton picked up his first collegiate victory.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Widener got the offense going from the very beginning as Matt Samson singled to extend his hitting streak to 18 games and stole second. A McParland single scored Samson. Nick D'Alessandro walked and Stephen DeBellis singled, loading the bases for Wood who lifted a sac fly, scoring McParland, upping the edge to 2-0. A squeeze bunt from Greg Elfreth brought home D'Alessandro for the final run of the inning.
• The Pride extended the lead in the third as with two outs and Elfreth on first following a fielder's choice, singles from Valenta and Scharnikow plated a run, making it 4-0.
• Elizabethtown chipped into the lead with two runs in the third and one in the fifth.
• Leading 4-3, Widener extended the lead in the sixth. With two outs and Samson on first, McParland singled, advancing Samson to third. McParland broke for second. As he did, Samson attempted to take home. The return throw from the shortstop was errant, allowing both runners to circle the bases.
• Responding, the Blue Jays posted a run in the bottom of the sixth, slicing the edge to 6-4.
• The Pride broke the game open in the seventh, Wood led off with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. Following a walk by Elfreth, a wild pitch scored Wood and moved Elfreth to second. Bases on balls drawn by Valenta and Scharnikow loaded the bags for Brennan Taylor who deposited a single to right-center, scoring two runs and increasing the lead to 9-4. After a groundout moved Taylor to second, McParland singled home two more runs, making it 11-4.
• Elizabethtown made it interesting with three in the eighth, but Widener slammed the door with four in the ninth, keyed by a bases loaded double from Valenta.

 
UP NEXT
Widener caps the regular season with a three-game series against Hood. Thursday's game will be played in Frederick, Md. with the Saturday doubleheader and Senior Day at the Widener University Baseball Field.