CHESTER, Pa. – The Widener University baseball team received two outstanding starting pitching performances and an eighth inning offensive explosion in the second game to take both ends of a twinbill from the Eastern Eagles on Sunday. The Pride won game one 7-5 before a 9-4 victory in the later contest.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Anthony Boccio, Alex Savkov, Kyle Brex and Brandon Reis each had two hits on the day for the Pride. 
• Savkov, Nick Barenz, and Austin Oliver each made their collegiate debuts with at least one hit and one run driven in.
• Joey Norton tossed a career-best eight strikeouts.
• Joey Zettlemoyer went a career-long 7.2 innings.
• Jake Good earned a save and a win on the day.
• Widener has scored seven or more runs in each of its first four games. 

HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME ONE

• The Pride got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as Brex, who walked to lead off the inning, came in to score on a triple from Boccio. Widener tacked on to the lead in the third as with one out, Reis singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.
• After Eastern got a run back in the top of the fourth, the Blue and Gold opened the game up in the fifth. With one out, Jimmy Crew singled and advanced to third on a double by Brex. A groundout by Reis scored Crew and moved Brex to third where he stood when Boccio singled, plating the runner, making it 4-1. After a hit batsman put runners on second and third, a single by Stephen Posner brought home Boccio. A throwing error on the play allowed Justin Costanzo to come across home plate as well, pushing the edge to 6-1.
• The runs proved important as Eastern clawed back with one in the sixth, two in the seventh, and one in the eighth, but Jake Good came in and got the final batter on a strikeout for his second save in as many chances.
• Norton tossed six innings allowing one earned run on two hits, striking out eight.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO

• The Pride was handcuffed by the Eagles pitching staff for the majority of the game. Trailing 3-0, the tide turned in the seventh with Widener scored twice, keyed by a bases loaded single from Oliver. 
• In a difference making eighth inning, the Blue and Gold sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven times on five hits. Among many big hits in the inning was a bases loaded double by Barenz that put Widener on top. Posner also had an RBI hit in the frame an Savkov cllected two hits in the inning.
• Widener also took advantage of miscues from Eastern, scoring twice on wild pitches. 
• Zettlemoyer earned the win with a career-best 7.2 innings, scattering seven hits, walking two, and striking out four. 

UP NEXT
Widener opens MAC Commonwealth play with a home doubleheader against York (Pa.) on Saturday, March 20. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.