BOX SCORE (Game One)
BOX SCORE (Game Two)
Reading, Pa. (Apr. 21, 2007) – Senior Jason Zeigler (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin), the only pitcher in school history to reach 25 career victories notched his 30th with a 10-0 shutout in game one of a doubleheader sweep over Marywood University Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference action at Alvernia.
Junior outfielder Steve Burdan (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) helped complete the sweep delivering a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 win in game two.
Zeigler threw a complete game to pick up his second career shutout. He struck out six, gave up five hits, and walked just one to improve to 6-1 this season. Marywood had a runner on in each of the first six innings, but none of them reached second base.
Marywood had a one-out single in the second, but followed with a fielder’s choice and a fly out. In the third, a one-out single was followed with a pop out and a strikeout. In the fourth it was more of the same with a one-out baserunner stranded on a pop out and a groundout. The leadoff hitter reached in the fifth, but freshman catcher Steve Bealer (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) threw him out trying to steal second.
Zeigler walked the leadoff in the sixth, but fly out, strikeout, pop out ended the inning and the senior hurler set them down in order in the seventh.
Alvernia showed little problem plating runs in support of Zeigler. Four runs crossed in the first and one each in the second, third, and fourth innings. Senior first baseman Ben Reifsnyder (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) drove in two on a double in the fifth and later came around to score the Crusaders 10th run of the game.
Game two was a different story for both teams. Marywood took its first lead of the series on a two-out double off the bat of designated hitter Dan D’Antonio (New Milford, CT/New Milford). Alvernia responded with two in the home half of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. After a walk and a single, senior Scott Schuler (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) walked to load the bases. Junior Zach Lutz# (Mohnton, PA/Governor Miffliln) walked to force in a run and tie the game, and senior Chris Raniere (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) followed with a run-scoring single.
Marywood tied the game on Chris Ritchie’s (Meriden, CT/Orville H. Platt) first home run of the season in the sixth, but Alvernia answered with a run on two triples to regain a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.
The guest Pacers scored their third two-out run with a double off Alvernia closer Andrew Long (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) in the seventh, but Burdan made Long a winner singling in Raniere who had singled and taken second on a balk.
Alvernia freshman Shane Zellers (Wiconisco, PA/Williams Valley) earned a no decision going six innings while giving up just two runs on four hits striking out one and walking one.
Alvernia will play a make-up game at Wilkes University on Sunday and complete the conference schedule next weekend with a three-game series with Neumann College.
The PAC Championships will be played at Bear Stadium in Boyertown on May 4-6.
Game One – Alvernia 10, Marywood 0
Game Two – Alvernia 4, Marywood 3
