BOX SCORE

Grantham, Pa. (Mar. 24, 2014) - Senior righty Aaron Benusis (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) bounced back from a rough outing a week ago to throw six and two-thirds solid innings helping Alvernia University (11-4, 5-1) claim a series win over Messiah College (5-6, 3-3) with a 10-3 win Monday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball action at Messiah.

Benusis surrendered one earned run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts just six days after not getting out of the fourth inning in a game against Stevenson.  Benusis handed the ball over to Matt Backlund (Yardville, N.J./Steinert) with two out in the seventh and the bases loaded.  Backlund retired Casey Ebersole to end the inning and finished out the game giving up a pair of runs in the ninth.

The Alvernia offense hit double digits in runs scored for the sixth time this season.  Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) led the way going 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored.  Every position player in the starting lineup had at least one hit.  Jason Clapper (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) went 4-for-5 with two runs score and two RBIs, and Rory Clemens (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Alvernia scored two runs in the second and doubled the lead with two in the fifth.  With Benusis dealing and throwing up zeros through the first six inning, the offense tacked on three more runs in the seventh for a 7-0 lead.  Dustin Arnold (Annville, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) delivered the big blow, a 2-run single that drove in Gehris and Clapper.

After Messiah got a run in the home half of the seventh, Alvernia pushed its lead to 9-1 with two runs in the eighth, and added another run in the ninth.  Messiah got two runs off Backlund on a pinch-hit homer in the ninth.

Alvernia is scheduled to travel to The College of New Jersey on Wednesday.

Alvernia 10, Messiah 3