BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Reading, Pa. (Mar. 31, 2014) - Senior lefty Mike Weinhold (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) was effective when he had to be earning Alvernia University (13-5, 8-2) a 2-1 win in game one and Widener University (11-8, 5-4) picked up a 9-1 win in game two for a split Monday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball at Angelica Park.

Weinhold worked around five hits and five walks in the opener striking out 11 over six and two-thirds innings.  Junior Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) got the last out of the game for his fourth save of the season after Weinhold set down the first two lefthanded batters in the seventh.

Weinhold stranded a one-out baserunner in the first with his second strikeout of the game then struck out the side in order in the second.  The Pride had the bases loaded in the third on two walks and a strikeout-wild pitch, but Weinhold left them loaded with a brilliant caught-looking, his eighth strikeout over the first three innings.

Widener went in order in the fourth then put two on with a pair of two-out hits, a single up the middle followed by a double down the line in left, but Weinhold got Michael Riverso on a grounder to first to end the threat.

Alvernia was having little to no luck against Widener starter Joe Santone with just two runners getting to second base through the first four innings.

The offense finally broke through in the fifth when Chris Burns (Cherry Hill, N.J./Holy Cross) singled through the left side to lead off the inning, moved up on a bunt from A.J. Bennett (Jackson, N.J./St. John Vianney) and went to third on a fly ball to right.  Brok Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners with two out before Santone uncorked a wild pitch that scored Burns and moved Martin to second.

Richie Ricciardi (Malanapan, N.J./Manalapan) followed with a ground ball in the hole between short and third which Michael Rytelewski knocked down, but didn't control allowing Martin to score all the way from second.

Widener put the leadoff man on in the sixth, but Burns promptly erased him with a strong pickoff throw behind him at first that led to a short rundown.  The next batter reached on a single and Weinhold loaded the bases with back-to-back walks brining up the No. 8 hitter Josh Everett with one out.  He was erased on an infield fly and Weinhold could see his way out of the inning, but he walked the No. 9 hitter to force in a run not getting a borderline low pitch on a full count.

That brought up Widener's leading hitter, Michael Elfreth, but he grounded out on a nice play by Martin at second.

Weinhold returned to the mound in the seventh with his pitch count over 100 to face the first two lefthanded batters.  He got the first on a strikeout and second on a grounder to first.  Becker-Menditto gave up a soft single up the middle and Burns nearly ended the game on a caught stealing before the final out came on a fly ball to right.

Senior Steve Price (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) took the ball for the second game and worked an uneventful first inning before getting the first two in the second.  He coaxed a grounder to third on the next batter, but the ball eluded the glove of a charging Jason Clapper (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) at the hot corner.  The Pride had the next five batters reach--all with two out--and plated four unearned runs for an early 4-0 lead.

Dustin Arnold (Annville, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) reached on a error in the bottom of the third, moved up on a bunt, and scored when Weinhold--the designated hitter for game two--reached on a bizzare play.  His grounder to the right of Riverso at first was gloved by the first baseman who was caught between flipping to the pitcher or running to the bag himself.  He decided on the latter and braced for a collision as both he and Weinhold reached the bag together.  Weinhold took the brunt of the blow and hit the deck, the umpire called him safe, but Riverso, assuming the out, bounced off the collision and rolled the ball back toward the mound thinking the inning was over.  Arnold charged around third and scored without a throw to cut the Widener lead to 4-1.

Widener got that run back on an RBI-triple by Matt Sherer in the fifth then tacked on four more runs on five straight hits in the sixth.

Alvernia is scheduled to take the field again Tuesday afternoon against either Gwynedd-Mercy or Maine-Presque Isle depending on how field availability shakes out for the Griffins.

Alvernia 2, Widener 1 (Game One)
Widener 9, Alvernia 1 (Game Two)