BOX SCORE

Reading, PA (April 23, 2006) – Sophomore pitcher Zach Lutz (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) went 4-for-4 at the plate and threw six strong innings to pick up his third win of the season as Alvernia College defeated Wilkes University, 10-2 Sunday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Alvernia.

            The Crusaders scored runs in each of the first three innings and led 4-2 after three.  The hosts tacked on one more in the fifth, two in the sixth, and capped the day with three runs in the home half of the eighth.  Five other players joined Lutz with multiple hits and sophomore Edwin Tavarez (Reading, PA/Reading) knocked in a pair of runs without the benefit of a hit.

            Wilkes managed nine hits on the day, seven off Lutz in the first six innings including a pair of solo home runs in the third inning for its only runs of the day.  Lutz finished the day allowing two walks and striking out five.

            Junior transfer Chris Raniere (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) knocked in Lutz in the first inning as the Crusaders opened a 1-0 lead after one inning.  Senior Ryan Zimmerman (Breinigsville, PA/Parkland) doubled and scored in the second on Tavarez’s first of two sacrifice flies.

            The hosts pushed two runs across in the third inning.  Senior Eric Bonds (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) singled and scored on a Lutz triple and Jason Zeigler (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) followed with an RBI single.

            Bonds, the 2005 national leader in runs scored, singled and scored his team-leading 50th run of the season in the fifth inning.  Lutz drove him in for the second time and added his third and fourth RBIs of the day with a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth.

            Alvernia will continue the non-conference schedule on Tuesday with a trip to Lebanon Valley College.

Alvernia 10, Wilkes 2