BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Glenside, Pa. (Mar. 17, 2012) - Alvernia University (9-6-1, 2-1) split a doubleheader at Arcadia University (5-10, 1-2) in Commonwealth Conference baseball action.  The Crusaders got 12 strikeouts from starter Andrew Kirk (Media, Pa./Penncrest) in a 4-2 win in the opener then just managed one run on a solo homer from junior catcher Kevin Bailey (Fallston, Md./Fallston) in a 3-1 loss in the nightcap.

Alvernia scored all four of its runs in game one in the third inning.  Junior Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) led off the inning with a homer and the Crusaders were aided by a pair of errors to build a 4-0 lead for Kirk.

Kirk allowed his first run of the game in the fourth, but stranded runners on second and third with back-to-back strikeouts.  He stranded another runner in scoring position in the sixth then turned it over to Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) who struck out two in the seventh to earn his third save of the season.

The Alvernia offense struggled against game two starter, senior Steve Romond collecting just two hits.  The first hit, the homer from Bailey, put the Crusaders up 1-0 in support of sophopmore Aaron Benusis (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) in the fourth.

Benusis worked into the sixth, but left with two on and one out.  Both runners came around to score and the Knights tacked on one more to take a 3-1 lead.  The Crusaders put a runner on in the seventh, but a linedrive double play ended the game.

Alvernia enters a rough portion of the schedule that includes New Jersey Athletic Conference powers Rowan, Kean, and the College of New Jersey as well as Messiah College and Manhattanville College.  It kicks off Wednesday at home with Rowan.

Alvernia 4, Arcadia 2 (Game One)
Arcadia 3, Alvernia 1 (Game Two)