BOX SCORE

Lakewood, N.J. (May 20, 2011) – Sophomore centerfielder Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) scored a pair of runs and freshman Mike Weinhold (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) threw 8.1 strong innings to lead No. 3 Alvernia University (38-7) into the championship round of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Baseball Regional at FirstEnergy Park with a 3-1 win over No. 4 Misericordia.

Senior closer Austin Rohrback (Maxatawny, Pa./Kutztown) relieved Weinhold with the potential tying run at the plate and notched back-to-back strikeouts to earn his ninth save of the season. With the save he tied Andrew Long (2005-08) for the career saves record with his 16th.

Alvernia advances to the championship round for the second time in school history and the first time from the winners bracket. It advanced out of the losers bracket in '05 and forced the if-necessary game against Rowan before bowing out.

Top-seeded Kean University and No. 6 Johns Hopkins will play an elimination game Saturday morning and the winner will face Misericordia in the losers bracket final. If Misericordia wins, the championship round will begin Saturday, tentatively scheduled for 5:00. If either Hopkins or Kean advances the round will start Sunday since the NCAA does not permit a team to play three times in one day.

The Crusaders looked to kick things off quickly Friday night playing their second game of the week with a start time after 10:30 p.m. Stimpson sliced the second pitch of the game down the right field line, and when Jeff Slanovec couldn't make the play on a dive, Stimpson easily pulled into third with a leadoff triple. Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) brought him in with a ground out to first.

Weinhold gave up three hits in the bottom of the first, but was able to keep the Cougars off the board thanks in part to Matt O'Neil (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) throwing out a potential base stealer.

Alvernia senior Reid Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) drew an eight-pitch walk and was the only baserunner in the second and Weinhold retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame.

Both teams opened their half of the third inning with a leadoff baserunner. Alvernia's was erased on an around-the-horn double play while Misericordia's was stranded at second when Weinhold closed the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

The Cougars scratched out the tying run in the bottom of the fourth. Weinhold hit Matt Newman with one out and he moved up to second on a wild pitch. He took third on a groundball to second and scored on a bunt single by Slanovec. A foot further in the air and Weinhold would have caught the bunt attempt, a foot shorter and he likely fields it easily on a bounce. Instead the ball flopped out of his glove and he couldn't pick it up cleanly to make a play to first.

After going in order in the fifth and sixth and stranding a runner in the seventh, the Crusaders manufactured a run to go back on top. Stimpson hit a chopper to short that he beat out and when the throw sailed out of play he was given second. Witkowski sacrificed him to third and Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson) delivered a liner over the drawn in infield bringing in Stimpson for the second time in the game.

The Crusaders added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Eric Domitrovits (Northampton, Pa./Northampton), who finished 2-for-3, opened the inning with a single to left. He advanced on a wild pitch as Martin tried to bunt him up. Martin fouled off the second attempt at a sacrifice, but finally moved him up on a check swing grounder to second.

O'Neil struck out looking, but Domitrovits got a great read on a passed ball during Tim Ahlquist's (Millville, N.J./Millville) at-bat that only got 15 feet past the catcher and scored on the slide.

Weinhold hit Newman for the second time in the game to lead off the ninth, but recovered to fan Andres Gonzalez. The Crusaders turned the ball to Rohrbach who got Slanovec on a full-count offering then Nate Hamlin on three straight strikes.

Alvernia 3, Misericordia 1