Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Alvernia University Athletics

Steve Bealer (pictured) and Steve Burdan both hit solo homers against DeSales on Wednesday.
Jon King
Steve Bealer was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI on Tuesday against Albright.

Baseball

Crusader Collapse Leads To Albright Win

Grey Takes No-Hitter Into The Seventh

BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 31, 2009) - The season started with such promise as Alvernia University (14-10) rattling off wins in 13 of the first 18 games and Tuesday's game against Albright College (10-9-1) looked much the same as sophomore Zach Grey (York, Pa./York Catholic) cruised through the first 24 batters taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Then the wheels fell off.  The Crusaders have dropped five of the last six and Grey gave up back-to-back singles to start the eighth holding a 4-0 lead.  He threw away a comebacker and his day was over three batters into the eighth.

Freshman reliever Jeff Helm (Columbia, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) took the ball, and after a two-run single, got a groundout and a pop out leaving two on with two out and the Crusaders still holding a 4-2 lead.  Even the at-bat for Albright cleanup hitter Jason Dunkelberger started well for the Crusaders with Helm throwing a first pitch strike.  Then the 6-2 lefty jerked the next pitch out to right and the Lions jumped ahead 5-4.

Helm loaded the bases with a single and two walks before giving the ball to Andrew Kirk (Media, Pa./Penncrest) who walked in a run but then got Matt Pannella looking to finally end the eight.  Six runs scored in the frame, all unearned, but all still counting the same to give Albright a 6-4 lead.

The Crusaders got one back in the home half of the eighth scoring on a single by Devin Gage (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Shipley) and an Albright error, but the Crusaders stranded Gage, the potential tying run 90 feet from home.

Kirk got the first two batters in the ninth on fly balls to left, but loaded the bases with a double and back-to-back walks.  The Crusaders turned to Ed Thompson (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) who left them loaded using Mike Latona's (Sinking Spring, Pa./Willson) glove in left for the third out of the inning.

The Lions, with the ball in the hands of ace Casey Lawrence, who had entered in the eighth to end the Crusaders' rally, got a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts to finish off a tough loss for the host Crusaders.

Tomorrow is not only a new day, but a new month and the Crusaders return to the conference schedule to face Delaware Valley College, a team they defeated in the championship game of the 2008 ECAC South Tournament.

Albright 6, Alvernia 5

 
Print Friendly Version