BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 20, 2012) - On Friday afternoon Alvernia University Baseball (22-9-1, 11-2) defeated conference rival Elizabethtown College (17-16, 7-6) by a score of 13-0. Friday was Armed Forces day at Angelica Park as the Crusaders honored Alvernia's own Barry Harvey who served in Vietnam as a member of the Marine Corps. Harvey threw out the game's ceremonial first pitch.

Senior Andrew Kirk (Media, Pa. / Penncrest) led the way for the Crusaders as he pitched eight scoreless innings surrendering just four hits. Kirk's curveball was sharp and he hit his spots all day. The righty was perfect through 3 2/3 innings before surrendering a single up the middle just past the outstretched glove of short stop Richie Riccardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan). Kirk finished the day with seven strikeouts.

Alvernia catcher, Kevin Bailey (Fallston, Md. / Fallston) said, “Kirk really pounded the strike zone today and when he does that he's unstoppable especially when he's ahead in the count. We really fired on all cylinders today hitting after a bad game Tuesday.”

In the sixth inning the Crusaders bats came alive for six runs including back-to-back triples from center fielder Nole Saylor (Boyertown, Pa. / Boyertown) and right fielder Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J. / Notre Dame). Witkowski, a junior, launched his triple on a fastball off the wall in right and said, “I was just looking to drive the ball to get a run in and I knew they were going to go to the pitch he got me out on the at bat before and I just got it.”

The Crusaders offense exploded for 13 runs on 19 hits. The Blue Jays used three pitchers but none had an answer to the Alvernia attack. Seven Crusaders had multiple hits and Matt Patterson (Hamilton, N.J. / Nottingham) and Chris Ray (Exton, Pa. / Henderson) each had three.

“We had it in the back of our minds that E-town knocked us out of the conference last year so we had a little more motivation”, said Witkowski.

Alvernia currently sits atop the MAC Commonwealth standings as they lead second place Elizabethtown by four games.  One more win would lock up the top seed.

The Crusaders travel to Elizabethtown tomorrow morning at 10 am for a double header before returning home to face Haverford in a non conference game.

Alvernia 13, Elizabethtown 0