BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Apr. 20, 2007) – Temperatures soared into the 70s and brought with it the return of the Alvernia College offense in a 19-10 win over Marywood University Friday afternoon in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference baseball action at Alvernia.
Junior catcher Dale Curry (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) knocked in as many runs on Monday as the entire offense scored during a doubleheader loss at Wesley last weekend with six RBI on two doubles and two home runs. He and junior third baseman Zach Lutz (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) each hit three-run homers in the third inning as the Crusaders (20-9, 11-5 PAC) broke the game open with a seven-run frame.
Curry smashed his second homer of the game with a man on in the fifth inning and the Crusader enjoyed a 9-1 lead. Junior starter Pete Fernandez (Waldwick, NJ/Bogota) cruised through the first four innings allowing just one unearned run on four base hits. Marywood, playing as the home team at Alvernia due to poor field conditions on its Scranton campus, opened the fifth inning with three straight singles and a walk to force in the second run of the day.
The Alvernia defense failed to turn at least a pair of double plays in the inning leading to five total runs and ending Fernandez’s day after a run-scoring single to Mike Castellano (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Ford). Freshman pitcher Pete Mazzie (Barto, PA/Boyertown) relieved Fernandez with one out and runners at first and second. He induced a ground ball, but after another error, one of five for Alvernia on the day, needed a strikeout to finally close the fifth.
Mazzie finished the day going 2 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks to pick up his first career victory. Freshman Brian Longo (Uncasville, CT/Montville) threw the final two innings to close the game for Alvernia.
Alvernia answered Marywood’s five-run fifth with five in the sixth highlighted by Curry’s RBI-double and a two-run single off the bat of freshman outfielder Steve DeBarberie (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner). The offense continued for the Crusaders with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings and three more in the ninth.
Marywood scored a pair in the ninth before Longo ended the game with a punch-out with the bases loaded.
Curry and DeBarberie both had four hits in five at-bats and Curry scored a game-high four runs. Senior designated hitter Jason Zeigler (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) finished with three hits, three runs scored, and two RBI for Alvernia, and Lutz raised his team-leading average to .480 going 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI.
Offensively Marywood was led by Bill Pregmon (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) who scored three runs and knocked in one on two hits. Korey Evans (Goshen, NY/Goshen) wend 5 2/3 for the Pacers (13-12, 8-5 PAC) and gave up 14 runs on 13 base hits.
Friday’s game was originally scheduled to be at Marywood, but moved after last weekend’s storms rendered its field unplayable. Marywood will return to Alvernia for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
Alvernia 19, Marywood 10
