BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 20, 2013) - The Cure Baseball founder Alex Paluka fired a strike on the ceremonial first pitch and Alvernia University (26-9, 15-3) picked up where it left off Friday with a pair of wins over Albright College (12-19, 3-15) winning both ends of the doubleheader to complete a 3-game sweep in Commonwealth Conference basebal action at Angelica Park.

Paluka, who lost his mother to cancer in December 2001, founded The Cure Baseball in September of 2011 in an effort to use the game that helped him through the toughest times of his life to raise funds in the fight against cancer.  The Crusader baseball team has been raising funds since the first semester and will make a donation to support Paluka's cause.  They work black jerseys Saturday with Alvernia and the number in pink with white pants, a pink belt, pink socks, and most players sporting pink wrist bands.

After Paluka fired a strike to starting catcher Chris Burns (Cherry Hill, N.J./Holy Cross), junior starter made quick work of the Lions in the top of the first.  Alvernia senior Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) launched the fifth pitch he saw well out to left--less than 24 hours after the Crusaders crushed four home runs in a 20-3 win at Albright.

The offense scored in each of the first five innings on the way to a 13-4 win.  Weinhold went six innings and allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits with 12 strikeouts.  It's the fourth time this season Weinhold has fanned double digits and the third time in the last four starts--each time going only six innings.

Weinhold set the tone for his day in the top of the second when he allowed a single and a double to put runners on second and third with no one out.  He needed just 11 pitches to get out of the jam on his own striking out the side.

Stimpson went 3-for-3 in the game with nine RBIs to pace the offense.  Five other players had two hits each as the Crusaders pounded out 16 base hits.

Game two was a bit more of a pitchers' duel with Alvernia sophomore Steve Price (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) going six shutout innings allowing just two hits.  Alvernia again did its damage early scroing twice in the first and again in the second in a 3-1 win.

The Crusaders are three and a half games up on Arcadia in the Commonwealth standings and could clinch the top spot if the Knights loss a rescheduled game on Sunday against Lebanon Valley.  If the Knights win that one, the Crusaders will need just one win in the teams' 3-game series next weekend to earn the top spot in the playoffs which begin Thursday, May 2.

Alvernia takes on Moravian mid-week in a non-conference game and starts the series with Arcadia next Friday in Glenside.

Alvernia 13, Albright 4 (Game One)
Alvernia 3, Albright 1 (Game Two)