BOX SCORE

Chester, Pa. (Apr. 27, 2012) - Junior Cody Younker (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) and senior Nole Saylor (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) each had RBI singles in a two-run seventh that gave Alvernia University (26-10-1, 14-2) the lead for good in a 5-4 win over Widener University (20-17, 7-9) Friday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball action at Widener.

Senior Andrew Kirk (Media, Pa./Penncrest) went six innings giving up four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts to earn the win and improved to 5-0 on the season.  Anthony Gambino (Allentonw, N.J./Allentown) threw two scoreless innings and Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) closed out his sixth save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Alvernia got on the board early with a two-out, two-run triple of the bat of Aaron Carman (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser in the first.  Carman went 2-for-4 and has eight base hits in his last three games.

The Crusaders went up 3-0 when Carman doubled and scored in the fourth, but Widener answerd with two in the home half of the fourth, and scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to take a 4-3 lead.

Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) doubled with one out in the seventh and Younker drove him in with a single to left, moving up to second on the throw to the plate.  Saylor followed with a single to center to score Younker and give the Crusaders the lead.

Widener had the leadoff runner on in each of the last three innings.  The Pride moved the runner up with a sacrifice bunt in the seventh, but failed to get past second base, then in the eighth and ninth while trying again to sacrifice, lined into double plays to erase the runner.

Saylor finished the game 2-for-5 and freshman short stop Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) went 2-for-4.  Alvernia hosts Widener Saturday for a doubleheader starting at noon.

The Crusaders have already locked up the top seed in the Commonweatlh Championships which begin next Thursday at Owls Field in West Lawn.  Lebanon Valley (10-8) has locked up a playoff spot while Messiah (9-7), Elizabethtown (7-9), and Widener are all fighting for the last two.

Alvernia 5, Widener 4