BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 21, 2012) - Alvernia (12-2) came back from a five run deficit to take game one by a score of 9-8 in the eighth inning over visiting Wilkes University (4-6) this afternoon in non-conference action.  The Crusaders took game two in more efficient fashion, 12-2 in six innings.  Freshman Brittanie Wolfe (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) earned her fifth win of the season with her relief appearance in game one, while Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) earned her third win of the season with her six-inning complete-game effort.

In game one, the Colonels from Wilkes jumped ahead early with three runs in the top of the first inning off three hits, two walks and a Crusader error.  Alvernia got two back in their half of the first thanks to a lead-off walk from Miranda Peto (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville), a single from Samantha Penk (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) a Wilkes error and a Wilkes wild pitch.  The Colonels were right back in action in the top of the second, plating four more runs for the early 7-2 lead.

Starter Deanna Dungee (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) settled down after the first two innings and held Wilkes scoreless in the third, fourth and fifth inning-allowing Alvernia to start their comeback.  The Crusaders plated three in the bottom of the fourth to bring the score to 7-5.  After a leadoff double from Kitchen, Alicia Buchman (Alburtis, Pa./Emmaus), Amanda Galanti (Red Bank, NJ/Marine Acad. of Sci./Tech.) and Katie Manowski (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) all connected for RBI hits.  Alvernia added one more in the fifth off another double from Kitchen, and two in the sixth to take the 8-7 lead before a Colonel homerun tied the game in the top of the seventh.  Wolfe shut Wilkes down through the eighth and Alvernia plated the winner off an RBI-single to right from Peto.

Game two started much like game one with two runs from the Colonels in the top of the first and Alvernia getting one back in the bottom of the first.  Unlike game one, that would be all the scoring Wilkes would manage through the rest of the game.  Alvernia added four in the second highlighted by a two-RBI single from Peto and two in the fourth thanks to a two-RBi double from Shannon Grim (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) to take the 7-2 lead.  A double to left center from Jacklyn Torres (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) plated two more in the fifth and Grim pushed across the game-ending run with a single in the eighth.

Manowski was five-for-seven with three runs scored and two RBIs, Penk was four-for-six with three runs scored and an RBI and Kitchen was also four-for-six with a run and a RBI.

Alvernia returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Messiah College for a 1:00pm doubleheader to open their conference season.

Alvernia 9, Wilkes 8 (8 innings)
Alvernia 12, Wilkes 2 (6 innings)