BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 27, 2013) - Junior Matt Patterson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) delivered clutch base hits in each of his first three at-bats and finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs leading Alvernia University (12-6) to a 9-4 win over The College of New Jersey (6-8) Wednesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Anglica Park.

The victory was win number 699 for Alvernia head coach Yogi Lutz who stands at 699-325-6 (.682) entering Thursday's Commonwealth Conference game against Widener.

Patterson put the Crusaders on the board with a two-out single in the first and drove in a second two-out RBI with a single in the third putting Alvernia up 2-0.  TCNJ answered with a run in the fourth and scored three in the fifth for a 4-2 lead.

Alvernia had runners on first and second with two out in the bottom of the fifth still facing the 4-2 deficit when Patterson came up for his third at-bat.  He fouled off one 0-2 pitch then laced the next one into the gap in right center scoring Brian Witkowski (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) from second and Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) all the way around from first tying the score at 4-4.

Billy Turner (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) drove in Patterson with the go-ahead run and the Crusaders tacked on two more runs with two out for a 7-4 lead through five innings.

Patterson doubled in the seventh to put runners on second and third with no one out and Kevin Bailey (Fallston, Md./Fallston) ripped a 2-run single up the middle for a 9-4 lead.

Alvernia starter Matt Backlund (Yardville, N.J./Steinert) went three and two-thirds innings and was taken out after giving up a run-scoring single in the fourth.

Senior reliever Cody Smith (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) threw back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh and was awarded the win.  Ray finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Alvernia returns to the field Thursday to host Widener for the first of their 3-game series.  The doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday in Chester.

Alvernia 9, TCNJ 4