BOX SCORE

Ft. Myers, Fla. (Mar. 6, 2013) - Senior Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) reached on an error, stole a base, and scored in the eighth inning and sophomore Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) threw an inning and a third to pick up his second win in relief this season as Alvernia University (4-2) defeated Thiel College (2-3) by an 8-7 final Wednesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action.

Becker-Menditto entered with a runner on first and two out in the top of the eighth.  He gave up a double, but escaped with a grounder to second to end the inning.  Stimpson reached on a throwing error by the Thiel shortstop, stole second with two out then scored when the thirdbaseman couldn't handle a ball hit by Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson).  Becker-Menditto gave up a two-out single in the ninth, but closed the game on a fly ball to center.

Alvernia took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan), added two in the third on a error and a double steal, but saw Thiel come back to take a 6-5 lead with four runs in the top of the fifth.

The Crusaders took back the lead on a 2-run homer off the bat of Billy Turner (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) in the bottom of the fifth, and Thiel knotted the game for the final time on an RBI-single in the seventh.

Turner had the only mult-hit game for the Crusaders going 2-for-4 wiht a single and a homer.  Matt Backlund (Yardville, N.J./Steinert) made the start and went four and a third giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk.

Alvernia continues the Florida spring break schedule facing Muskingum on Thursday.

Alvernia 8, Thiel 7