BOX SCORE

West Lawn, Pa. (May 4, 2012) - The reigning Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year, Alvernia sophomore Aaron Benusis (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern), threw eight shutout innings and the top-seeded Crusaders (29-11-1) scored single runs in the third and seventh for a 2-0 win over #2 Lebanon Valley College (24-17) in the first elimination game of the Commonwealth Conference Baseball Championships at Owls Field.

Freshman Rory Clemens (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) ripped a 1-2 pitch over the leftfielder's head in the third to plate Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) who had reached on a fielder's choice and moved up on a passed ball, and sophomore Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) singled to left in the seventh to plate pinch-runner Cody Younker (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley).

Benusis limited the Dutchmen to just two hits and three walks with three strikeouts over eight innings.  He worked around baserunners in all but the fourth, sixth, and eighth.  He walked the leadoff hitter to start the game and he moved up to third on back-to-back groundouts before Benusis picked up his first strikeout of the game getting Aaron Mills to end the inning.  Benusis gave up the first hit of the game to Phil Dohner in the second, but he was erased on a line drive double play to Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) at short.

LVC's best chances to score came in the fifth and seventh, but both times Benusis caught a batter looking to help escape.  The Dutchmen got the leadoff on in the fifth when Dohner was hit by a pitch.  They sacrificed him to second and he moved to third on a passed ball with one out.  Benusis got Lee Webber looking for the second out of the inning then retired the side on a grounder to Brok Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) at second.

In the seventh the Dutchmen opened with a walk and had two on with no one out after the Crusaders failed to field a sacrifice bunt attempt.  The next batter also sacrificed moving runners to second and third in one out.  The Dutchmen went to the bench for Tom Rasich and Benusis pounded the zone getting him on three straight pitches then finished the inning with a fly ball to center.

Gehris made a highlight grab at third for the first out in the top of the eighth and Benusis ended his day with fly balls to center and left.  Freshman closer Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) pitched the ninth for his seventh save of the season.  After a flare single to open the inning he got a strikeout and back-to-back groundouts to end the game.

Alvernia advances to the losers bracket final which is scheduled for 7:30 Friday evening against the loser of Friday afternoon's Elizabethtown / Messiah game.

There will be FREE, LIVE audio for the rest of the Crusaders' games in the tournament.

#1 Alvernia 2, #2 Lebanon Valley 0