Reading, Pa. (Apr. 25, 2015) - Alvernia University (28-11, 17-4) split a doubleheader with Arcadia University (17-12-1, 12-9) Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference baseball action at Angelica Park.

The Crusaders won the opener, 7-1, behind Matt Backlund, and dropped game two, 7-5, with the Knights plating the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh.

Alvernia got a 4-for-4 effort with two runs and a pair of RBIs from Ben Sawyer in the opener.  Backlund went six innings allowing just a run on five hits.  Matt Osgoodby pitched a scoreless seventh to close the game.

The Crusaders scored four runs in the home half of the first inning, added two more in the second, and both teams scored a run each in the sixth.

Arcadia opened the scoring in the first inning of game two off Alvernia starter Kevin Short.  Alvernia tied the score at 1-1 in the third, but Arcadia answered with three in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.  The Knights scored a run in the fifth to go ahead 5-1, but Alvernia scored twice in the bottom of the fifth on a 2-run double off the bat of James Bertolotti and tied the score in the sixth with a pair of unearend runs.

Osgoodby made his second appearance of the day in the top of the seventh and retired the first two batters before a hit batter, a single, and a walk loaded the bases.  The Crusaders turned the ball over to closer Kevin Becker-Menditto, but Arcadia pinch hitter Michael Ferrence delivered a two-run single to left to plate the eventual winning run.

Alvernia heads to the postseason as the top seed in the Commonwealth Championships and will face #4 Widener in the opening round on Thursday at Santander Stadium in York.  Messiah College will face Stevenson University in the 2/3 game on Thursday.

Alvernia 7, Arcadia 1 (Game One)
Arcadia 7, Alvernia 5 (Game Two)