BOX SCORE
(Kingston, PA) - Junior Zach Lutz (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) struck out eight over seven innings and homered twice, but Wilkes University held off a late rally to top Alvernia 7-6 Sunday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Artillery Park.
Chris Mayerski drove in four runs with a pair of homers and Corey Helfrich added two hits and three runs batted in to lift Wilkes. The win improved the Colonels to 16-10 overall, while the Crusaders saw their record slide to 22-10.
Alvernia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo homerun by Lutz. However, Wilkes would answer right back thanks to Mayerski's first long ball of the afternoon. Helfrich drew a one-out walk and Kyle Follweiler singled to set the stage for a three-run homer by Mayerski that put the Colonels on top 3-1.
Wilkes tacked on a run in the second to extend the lead to 4-1. Geoff Miller drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Wetzel. After Mike McAndrew was walked, Helfrich singled down the left field line to score Miller and give the Colonels a three-run
advantage.
The Crusaders struck for a pair of runs in the third to trim the lead to a run. With one out Ben Reifsnyder (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson) singled. Lutz then stepped to the plate and cracked his second homer of the game to cut the Alvernia deficit to 4-3.
Alvernia would tied the game in the fifth inning, although Wilkes reliever Anthony Giuffrida made sure that the Crusaders would not re-take the lead. Tim Carroll (Bensalem, PA/Conwell Egan), who reached on an error, was on second with one out when Giuffrida came on to replace starter Justin Huff.
After walking Lutz he gave up an rbi-single to Chris Raniere (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) that tied the contest at 4-4. Steve Burdan then reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with still only one out. However, Giuffrida got Dale Curry to pop up to second base and then induced Steve DeBarberie (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner) into a fielder's choice that ended the threat and kept the game even.
The Colonels took the lead for good in their half of the fifth when Mayerski led off with a solo homer to make it 5-4. They would add two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Helfrich to up the lead to 7-4.
Tom Buckler, who replaced Giuffrida on the hill for Wilkes to begin the sixth inning, was cruising along until he ran into some difficulties in the ninth. Reifsnyder doubled and Raniere was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. Burdan then reached on an error to load the bases and Curry drew a walk to force in a run and make it 7-5. DeBarberie grounded into another fielder's choice that scored Raniere and trimmed the lead to 7-6. But, Buckler got pinch hitter Chris Simocini (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Spgings) to ground out to first base for the game's final out.
Giuffrida was credited with win to improve to 3-0 on the mound this season. Buckler, who went four innings and surrendered three hits and one earned run, earned his first save of the campaign. Lutz pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs, for Alvernia to see his
record fall to 3-2.
Wilkes 7, Alvernia 6
