Reading, Pa. (Mar. 28, 2016) - A wild walk-off win for Alvernia University (11-9, 5-1) propelled the Crusaders to a doubleheader sweep of Messiah College (9-11, 3-3) Monday afternoon in MAC Commonwealth baseball action at Angelica Park.

Trailing 3-2, the Crusaders loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one.  Nathan Sides hit a grounder to third and the Messiah third baseman tagged third for a force out but threw wild to first allowing Mike Cunningham to score the winning run all the way from first.

Alvernia kept the momentum going with five runs in the first inning of game two en route to a 7-3 win in the final game of the three-game series.

Senior designated hitter Chris Burns homered for the eighth time this season in the opener.  Zack Landy got the win in relief in the opener and John Catchmark went 6.1 innings with 11 strikeouts for the win in game two.

Thomas Malik went 6.1 innings for the Crusaders in the opener and gave up three runs--two earned--with seven Ks.  Five players had a hit apiece for Alvernia in game one.  Cameron Coons and James Bertolotti both had two hits in game two.

Messiah took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning in game one when Joe Saufley launched a 2-run homer.  Colin Rieger--a defensive replacement for the Crusaders in the fifth--single to lead off the seventh and was at third after Cunningham dumped a single to center on an 0-2 count to load the bases.  Sides went down 1-2 in the count before hitting the game-ending grounder to third.

Alvernia sent nine men to the plate in the first inning in game two.  Five straight batters reached after there were two outs.

Saufley drove in two more for Messiah in the top of the second, but Alvernia answered with a single run in the bottom of the second for a 6-3 lead and added another run in the fifth.

Alvernia will travel to Gwynedd-Mercy College on Wednesday before an important three-game series with Widener University this weekend.

Alvernia 4, Messiah 3 (Game One)
Alvernia 7, Messiah 3 (Game Two)