BOX SCORE

York, Pa. (May 2, 2014) – Second-seeded Alvernia University (27-12) scored two runs in the second and three in the third then held on for a 5-4 win over #3 Messiah College (16-19) Friday evening in the losers bracket final of the Commonwealth Conference Baseball Championships at Santander Stadium.
 
The Crusaders got an RBI-single from Dustin Arnold (Annville, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) in the home half of the second after the Falcons had taken a 1-0 lead with a single run in the top half of the inning.  With two on and two out, Rory Clemens (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) and Santino Alteri (Watertown, N.Y./Immaculate Hearth Central) drew back-to-back walks to force in the go-ahead run.
 
Zach Nadolny (Sparks, Md./Bel Air) reached on an error to open the bottom of the third and scored on a double from Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name).  Jason Clapper (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) doubled in Gehris and another RBI-single from Arnold made it 5-1.
 
Alvernia had runners reach second in four of the final five innings, but couldn't push across any insurance.
 
Messiah found life with three runs in the top of the sixth.  Derek Drake led off with a single to left and a hit batter put two on with no one out.  Jacob Sprengle doubled in a run then Ben Sollenberger scored on an error by Clapper at third.  Sprengle was at third when an errant pick-off throw from Steve Price (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) allowed a third run to score pulling Messiah within one at 5-4.
 
Casey Ebersole was at second following the failed pick-off with no one out, but Price stranded him getting a pop out, a groundout, and a fly out to end the inning.
 
Messiah had a two-out baserunner in the eighth, but couldn't move him past first and Alvernia closer Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save of the season.
 
Price picked up the win giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits over six innings.
 
The bottom five in the Crusaders' order did the bulk of the damage Friday night going 11-for-19 with four runs scored and four RBIs.  Arnold finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Matt Patterson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham), Gehris, and Clapper had two hits apiece as did Dustin Stuck (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra).
 
Alvernia returns to the championship series for the second straight season and will face Widener in the first game at noon.  The Pride needs just one win to claim the conference title while the Crusaders will need a pair.
 
#2 Alvernia 5, #3 Messiah 4