BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 25, 2011) - Senior starter Chuck Nicholas (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) threw seven and two-thirds innings and the top of the lineup went 7-for-13 to lead Alvernia University (13-1, 4-0) to its 13th straight win, 10-1 over Lebanon Valley College (8-8, 1-3) Friday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball action at Angelica Park.

Nicholas stranded a runner at third in the first then mowed through the Dutchmen until the fourth when Jordan Higgins turned on an inside fastball to knock in the first run of the game with a single down the leftfield line.

The Alvernia offense promptly responded getting an RBI groundout from Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) in the home half of the fourth.

After a shutdown inning from Nicholas in the top of the fifth, the Crusaders broke it open with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning.  Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson) delivered the big hit a line drive through the box to bring in a pair.

Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) homered to lead off the seventh and Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) tripled and scored on another Ray single.  Stimpson, Witkowski, and Ray combined for seven hits in 13 at-bats with five runs scored and seven RBIs.

Nicholas departed with two out in the top of the eighth giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks.  Closer Austin Rohrbach (Maxatawny, Pa./Kutztown) finished the final four outs getting a pair of strikeouts.

Alvernia and Lebanon Valley continue the three-game conference series at LVC on Saturday.

Alvernia 10, Lebanon Valley 1