BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 2, 2008) – Alvernia College sophomore Steve Bealer (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) and senior Steve Burdan (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) both hit solo home runs to help the Crusaders come from behind in an 8-5 win over DeSales University Wednesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Alvernia.

DeSales got on the board early against Alvernia starter Shane Zellers (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley) plating two runs in each of the first two innings. The Bulldogs scored on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice in the first inning and took a 4-0 lead on a two-out, two-run double by Andrew Feher (Riegelsville, Pa./Palisades) in the second.

Zellers ended the second inning with a strikeout and got three more in the third and fourth to finish with five as he worked through the fourth inning leaving with the Crusaders trailing 4-1.

Alvernia's first run came in the third when Steve DeBarberie (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) reached on a single and moved to second on a Tim Carroll (Bensalem, Pa./Conwell Egan) single. Freshman Tim Ahlquist (Millville, N.J./Millville) hit a ball back up the middle that was fielded by the pitcher, but his throw to second sailed into centerfield allowing DeBarberie to score from second.

Bealer pulled the Crusaders within two, 4-2, with a solo shot in the fifth and Burdan's homer in the sixth made it 4-3. Alvernia freshman Marco Menna (Drexel Hill, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) followed with a single, and Carroll plated him with a sac fly to center to tie the game at 4-all.

Brendan Barry (Franklin Square, Pa./St. Mary's) rapped a pinch-hit single to right field to knock in Corey Berghardt (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) and the Crusaders had their first lead of the day, 5-4.

Freshman reliever Jeremy Hausdorf (Floral Park, N.Y./St. Mary's) held DSU off the board in the fifth, sixth, and seventh as the hosts built on their lead. Bealer led off the Alvernia seventh with a walk and a stolen base, and came around to score on a Dale Curry (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) single. With two out and the bases loaded, freshman Chris Stoudt (West Lawn, Pa./Governor Mifflin) ripped a two-run single to right field to give Alvernia an 8-4 lead.

Hausdorf, the eventual winner, surrendered a leadoff homer in the eighth, but worked around a walk and an error turning the ball over to senior closer Andrew Long (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) who nailed down his second save of the year with the help of a double play turned by Stoudt.

Alvernia will return to the conference schedule this weekend when it hosts Neumann College on Friday.

Alvernia 8, DeSales 5