BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 3, 2013) –Alvernia University (15-8) answered in every inning that Gwynedd-Mercy scored Wednesday afternoon and finished up a 6-3 win over the Griffins in non-conference baseball action at Angelica Park.

Freshman starter Matt Osgoodby (Manasquan, N.J./Wall) threw a solid five innings and go a no-decision.  Senior Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) led the offensive attack going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Osgoodby set down the first two batters of the game then the Griffins applied some pressure putting two on with two out, but Matt Patterson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) made a nice backhand stop on a grounder at first and fed Osgoodby to end the inning.

The Crusaders threatened in the bottom of the first when Stimpson hustled out of the box and turned a bounder up the middle into a leadoff double, but GMC starter Andrew Schaefer made a diving catch on a bunt attempt and the Crusaders couldn't get Stimpson around.

GMC put the first run on the board in the third on a two-out homer to left by catcher John Burns.  The Crusaders then wasted little time getting the run back.  Chris Burns (Cherry Hill, N.J./Holy Cross) doubled over the head of the leftfielder to start the inning and came around to score when Cody Younker (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) reached on a bunt single and the throw escaped the GMC first baseman.

The Griffins when back ahead 2-1 in the top of the fifth when Josh Martin lead off with a walk and stole second.  He moved up on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly.  Once again the Crusaders offense quickly erased the deficit.  Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) failed to execute a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by the GMC short stop allowed him to reach second.  Younker drove him home with a two-out double to left and scored on a single by Stimpson.

Gwynedd threatened in the seventh loading the bases with no one out, but Alvernia went to senior reliever Anthony Gambino (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) who stranded all three.  He started with a strikeout, then got a pop up to the catcher, and closed the inning with a grounder to third.

Alvernia turned the ball over to closer Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) looking for his second six-out save of the season.  The Griffins got a one out base runner on an Alvernia error.  He stole second and scored on a single to tie the game at 3-3, but once again the Alvernia offense responded immediately.

Stimpson doubled with one out and back-to-back GMC errors put two on and pushed Stimpson across.  Billy Turner (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) then delivered with a two-run double off the wall in dead center for a 6-3 lead.

Becker-Menditto pitched around a two-out single in the ninth to earn the win.

Alvernia returns to the conference schedule on Friday when it starts a 3-game series at Elizabethtown College.

Alvernia 6, Gwynedd-Mercy 3