DAVENPORT, Fla. – Widener baseball split their doubleheader against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs on Tuesday. They lost the first game 16-7, but they rebounded with a 10-4 win in game two. Overall, the Pride went 3-2 in their Florida games.
The Pride are 4-5 in the regular season. Their first MAC game is on Friday, March 15 vs. Eastern.
BY THE NUMBERS: GAME 1
BY THE NUMBERS: GAME 2
- Bukowski and Ryan Weaver got two runs each. Ryan Bauerle led the way with three hits.
- Hayden O'Neill picked up his first win of the season on the mound. He went three innings and put up 55 pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST UMASS DARTMOUTH
Game 1
- The Pride jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning off an Aman sac-fly and a Balcer RBI single. However, the Corsairs put up six runs in the top of the second on a couple of RBIs and a home run. The bats were quiet in the next two half-innings until the bottom of the third. A Balcer RBI single brought Aman home. Afterward, the Corsairs prevented any more runs, even with the Pride loading the bases. Through three, UMass Darthmouth held a 6-3 lead.
- UMass Dartmouth continued to score, as the top of the fourth was underway. The Pride matched it with a few RBI singles from Raven and Christian Reed. But, the Corsairs began to pull away in the fifth inning once the bases were loaded. With UMass Dartmouth adding four more runs in the seventh, the Pride had one last chance to mount a comeback. Myles Calderbank scored on a defensive error, and the bases were full. But, the deficit was out of reach. UMass Dartmouth won game one 16-7.
Game 2
- A quick first inning led into the second, where Widener once again gained the early advantage. The Pride loaded the bases, as a Bukowski walk turned into an RBI. Raven would then hit a two-RBI single, and Calderbank followed with an RBI single. The Corsairs would answer with their own run in the bottom of the second. A Widener error and a two-RBI single eliminated the deficit and tied the game. After three, the score was knotted at 4-4.
- The Pride bounced back by knocking in four runs in the top of the fourth. Aman got things started by stealing home. Alex Savkov and Xavier Ruley each got an RBI on an extra-base hit, including an RBI triple from Savkov. Ruley stole home too. In the top of the fifth, Bukowski smacked a solo home run to bump the lead to 9-4. The Pride would show their defense in the bottom of the fifth with bases loaded. Aidan O'Brien went to the mound, and the Pride immediately made a double play. Weaver put up the final run on the board in the sixth by stealing home. Ethan Lytle pitched in the seventh and earned two strikeouts across three batters. Widener won 10-4.
UP NEXT
The Pride return to Chester for their first conference game of the season, which will also act as the home opener. They will host the Eastern University Eagles on Friday, March 15 at 3:30 p.m.
