BOX SCORE (Game One)
BOX SCORE (Game Two)

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 17, 2011) - The offense led the way to a 17-5 victory in game one then pitching had just enough at the right time for a 6-5 win in game two as #16/19 Alvernia University (25-3, 12-0) swept its fourth straight three-game, conference series with two more wins at Widener University (20-11, 8-7) Sunday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball action at Widener.

The Crusaders scored 17 runs on 17 hits and nine walks in game one as senior Chuck Nicholas (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) improved to 5-2 going six innings giving up three runs on three hits while striking out nine.

Five different players had a multi-hit game in the opener led by Matt O'Neill (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) who went 3-for-3.  Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson) finished with two hits in three at-bats and drove in a game-high five runs.  Six different players crossed the plate at least twice each for Alvernia led by leadoff batter Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) who touched the plate four times.

Game two was a little more in doubt.  The Crusaders ended the first game of the series throwing out the potential tying run at the plate for the final out.  This time senior closer Austin Rohrbach (Maxatawny, Pa./Kutztown) got himself into trouble--pitching with a four-run lead--then stranded the tying run at third with a strikeout to end the game.

Freshman Mike Weinhold (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) surrendered a run in the first, but the offense erased that with three in the third on three straight, two-out, run-scoring singles off the bats of Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name), Reid Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata), and Travis Wrambel (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown).

Weinhold earned the win going five innings and giving up two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.

The Crusaders stretched their lead to 5-2 with two runs in the sixth and tacked on the much-needed insurance run on a double steal in the top of the seventh.

Rohrbach took the ball from Cody Smith (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic), who threw a scoreless sixth, and walked two of the first three around a groundout, then hit two more to force in a run.  A single and a fielder's choice brought in two more runs to pull the Pride to within 6-5 with two out.  Another walk by Rohrbach loaded the bases for the Sean Saverio, who leads the Pride with 40 hits this season, but Rohrbach ended the game with a strikeout, his 25th in 18 and two-thirds innings this season.

Alvernia 17, Widener 5 (Game One)
Alvernia 6, Widener 5 (Game Two)