BOX SCORE
Chandler, Az. (Mar. 10, 2007) – Alvernia College picked up win No. 500 for head coach Yogi Lutz when it batted around in the eighth and scored four runs for a come from behind 11-9 win over Rutgers-Camden Saturday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.
Alvernia sophomore Steve Geisel (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland) threw an inning and a third of scoreless relief to pick up his first win of the season. Junior All-American Zach Lutz (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) went 2-for-2 at the plate with three runs and two RBIs. Senior Chris Raniere (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) was 2-for-5 at the plate with a game-high three RBIs
Zach Lutz knocked in the first run of the eighth on an RBI-single to left and scored the game-tying run on a Steve Burdan (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) single. Steve DeBarberie (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bononer) followed with a walk and Chris Simoncini (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs) drove in the winning runs with a two-run single through the left side.
Junior closer Andrew Long (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) worked around a lead-off double in the ninth to record his first save of the year. Rutgers-Camden catcher Perry Tate led of the ninth with a pinch-hit double, but wandered too far off second and Alvernia catcher Dale Curry (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) picked him off to erase the threat. Long walked the next batter, but closed the game with back-to-back groundouts.
Both teams posted a run in the first and Alvernia jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings in support of starter Jason Zeigler (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) who recently became the career wins leader at Alvernia. Raniere fueled the Crusaders 4-run third with a one-out, two-run single.
RCU got right back in the game scoring in each of the next four innings including a 4-run fifth. The first five batters reached for the Scarlet Raptors and a Butch Amato sac fly was the first out of the inning chasing home the fourth run. Zeigler left after loading the bases with another single, but reliever Billy Moore (Cochranville, PA/Octorara) ended the inning with a groundball double play.
RCU tied the score with a single run in the sixth and went up 9-7 with two runs in the seventh. Starter Jason Ronca struck out the Crusaders in order in the seventh and left with one out in the eighth after hitting Eric Focht (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) with a pitch. Focht took second on a failed pick off and Zach Lutz followed with his RBI single.
Yogi Lutz is in his 22nd year as head coach of the Crusaders. He has captured eight conference titles in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and led Alvernia to five appearances in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.
Alvernia will continue the Greater Phoenix Invitational facing Brockport State in a doubleheader on Sunday.
Alvernia 11, Rutgers-Camden 9
