CHESTER, Pa. – Widener baseball took game one of their three-game series against the Hood College Blazers on Friday. They got an 11-3 victory for their first home win of 2024.
The Pride are 7-12 in the regular season. They are 3-4 in conference play.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Alex Savkov collected a team-best four runs. Jack Balcer was tied for first with Savkov for three hits, but Balcer led with five RBIs.
- Trae Sanders went seven innings on the mound. In 107 pitches, he allowed just three runs and struck out four batters.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST HOOD
- Hood started the game with a triple in the top of the first, but Widener put the first runs on the board. Balcer, Matt Koblos, and Ryan Bauerle each had an RBI in the bottom of the first, with Balcer's being on a ground-rule double. The Pride would add three more runs in the second on RBIs from Nick Barenz, Kevin Bukowski, and Bauerle. The Pride played good defense in the third, as Sanders struck out the final two batters of the inning with bases loaded. In the third, Balcer smacked a two-RBI single to give Widener a 9-0 lead. Hood answered in the fourth with a run on a sac-fly, but Widener led 9-1 after four.
- Despite each side having runners in scoring position in the fifth inning, no one came home. A Widener error in the top of the sixth gave the visitors their second score of the day. However, Brendan Raven earned an RBI on a fly-out in the bottom of the inning. The visitors had an RBI single in the seventh before Balcer's hot hitting continued. Savkov would score on the fielder's choice. Aiden Weitzel went to the mound for the eighth inning. The Blazers made no serious threats at a comeback in the eighth and ninth innings. The afternoon ended on a fly-out to right field. Widener won 11-3.
UP NEXT
The Pride and Blazers face off once again tomorrow, Saturday, March 30. This time, it will be a doubleheader in Frederick, Md. First pitch is at 12 p.m.
