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Lakewood, N.J. (May 18, 2011) - The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional features three conference Pitchers of the Year.  Two of them threw complete games against one another Wednesday night into Thursday morning with Alvernia University junior Andrew Kirk (Media, Pa./Penncrest)--the Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year--getting the better of Johns Hopkins junior Alex Eliopoulos--the Centennial Pitcher of the Year--in a 2-1 victory.

In a game filled with intriguing match-ups including a pair of head coaches with more than 50 years of combined experience and over 1,500 wins between them, only about 50 fans were able to enjoy the pitchers' duel that was pushed back nearly seven hours to an 11:15 p.m. start due to heavy rains in the early afternoon.

The Crusaders (36-7) scored both of their runs on wild pitches.  They scored once in the bottom of the first when Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) doubled with one out and scored from second on a wild pitch that Hopkins catcher Joe Borrelli couldn't find.  Then with the bases loaded in the ninth Travis Wrambel (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) scored when Eliopoulos was wild on his final delivery of the game.

Hopkins scored a game-tying run in the top of the fourth when Alvernia centerfielder Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) misplayed a ball allowing Jesse Sikorski to reach and Ryan Zakszeski doubled him home with one out.  Kirk, who collected double digit strikeouts for the third straight start, fanned 13 including back-to-back to strand Zakszeski at second in the fourth.

Kirk pushed his school record for strikeouts in a season up to 114 and pushed his team-leading ERA (among starters) down to 1.46.  He also tied the record for starts in a season with his 12th, broke the record for innings pitched at 86.1, and improved to 10-1 on the season, one win shy of the team record.

Eliopoulos held the Crusaders to just five hits and recorded 1-2-3 innings in three of the first five frames.  Witkowski had the first hit off the junior righty on an opposite-field double after Stimpson grounded out to open the bottom of the first.  Commonwealth Player of the Year Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson) struck out and advanced all the way to second on the same wild pitch that allowed Witkowski to score.

Aaron Carman (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser), the only other baserunner in the first five innings for the Crusaders, walked with two out in the fourth and was stranded at second.

Ray reached on an error in the sixth, but only got as far as second.  The Crusaders were in good shape to regain the lead in the seventh when Carman walked to open the frame and Eric Domitrovits (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) reached on a bunt single.  Reid Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) sacrificed the runners up, but Eliopoulos got out of the threat getting Mike Weinhold (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) to ground out to a pulled in first baseman and Julian Faria (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) grounded out to short.

The Crusaders ran themselves out of a threat in the eight when Stimpson singled and was sacrificed to second, but he was thrown out at third trying to move up on Ray's grounder to short then Ray was picked off first to end the inning.

The Blue Jays had runners on in seven of the nine innings and had their best chance to forge ahead in the seventh when three straight batters reached with two out, but Ray made a sliding catch in shallow right field to end the inning.

Kirk also ended a threat in the ninth with his 13th strikeout of the game and the potential go-ahead run standing on second.

Five different players registered one hit each for the Crusaders who were held without an RBI for just the second time this season.

Alvernia will face the winner of #2 Rowan / #7 Randolph-Macon in game eight of the tournament tentatively scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Thursday.  Hopkins moves to the elimination bracket and will face the loser of the Rowan / RMC game.

The third conference pitcher of the year is Kean's Mike Russo who did not throw in the Cougars' opening day loss to #8 Catholic.

#3 Alvernia 2, #6 Johns Hopkins 1