BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 27, 2012) - Freshman Steve Price (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) made big pitches when he had to and the offense came through with five two-out RBIs as Alvernia University (14-6-1) defeated #4 Kean University (13-5) by a 7-1 final Tuesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Angelica Park.

Price was first up in a big spot in the top of the second when a two-out walk loaded the bases for Kean speadster Vinny Galya.  The 6-foot righty missed with his first two pitches to Galya then came back with three straight in the zone getting a fly out to center to end the threat.

In the home half of the second the Crusaders ripped three straight two-out hits to drive in three runs and take a 3-0 lead.  Sophomore DH Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) started with a one-out triple, but had to stay at third when Richie Riccardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) grounded to second on a drawn in infield.  Junior catcher Kevin Bailey (Fallston, Md./Fallston) came through with the first two-out RBI slapping an 0-1 pitch to right.  Aaron Carman (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) followed with another opposite-field single then Cody Younker (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) cranked the second triple of the inning to center to chase home Bailey and Carmen.

Price worked around a single baserunner in both the third and fourth innings, and the Crusaders manufactured a run with a little help on the bottom of the fourth.  Gehris walked on four pitches to start the inning, was sacrificed to second, took third when Bailey reached on an error, and scored on a Carman sacrifice fly.

Price got a ground ball to get out of a two-on, two-out jam in the fifth and after giving up his first run of the game in the sixth got Galya swinging at a full-count pitch to finish the inning.  The Crusaders tacked on three more runs in the home half of the sixth with Carman scoring on a wild pitch and Nole Saylor (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) delivering a two-out single to score a pair.

Freshman Dustin Stuck (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra)--a defensive replacement in the seventh--was in the middle of a big play with the Cougars trying to rally.  A hit-by-pitch and a single put two on with one out and put some life into the Kean dugout.  Price's final pitch of the game induced a ground ball to Riccardi at short who flipped to Stuck at second and his turn was on point to complete the double play and end the threat.

Junior Cody Smith (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) took over for Price and allowed two baserunners while getting one out.  He turned it over to Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) who got the next two to end the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the win.

Saylor, Bailey, and Carman collected two hits apiece.  Price went seven innings giving up one run on eight hits with seven strikeouts.  Shane Alvarez went 3-for-4 for the Cougars.

The victory gives Alvernia two wins over NJAC foes after the win over then #12 Rowan last week.  It continues the schedule Wednesday afternoon traveling to The College of New Jersey for a 3:30 p.m. game with the Lions.

Alvernia 7, #4 Kean 1