game one box score     game two box score

ASTON – The Colonel baseball team took a pair of games from Neumann, including a 4-3, 11-inning contest and an 11-0 beating in the nightcap. The Colonels have now won five-straight games and six of their last seven.

In the first game, Wilkes broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 11th when John Florance (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Forks) hit a one-out double with Geoff Miller (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) on first base. Miller reached after being hit by a pitch, but was thrown out at the plate on Florance's double. Shane Keister (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) would follow with a single to right plating Florance, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double to end the inning. Keith Rhinehammer (Wanamie, Pa./Nanticoke) closed the door on the Knights, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out two in the win.

Wilkes opened the scoring in the first inning when leadoff hitter Mike McAndrew (Avoca, Pa./Pittston Area) reached after he was hit by a pitch and would later steal second. A throwing error by the catcher on the stolen base attempt allowed McAndrew to advance to third. The error proved costly as Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ) would drive McAndrew home on a groundout to the first baseman.

Eric Wetzel (New Berlin, N.J./Mifflinburg) and McAndrew led off the top of the third with back-to-back triples to give the Colonels a 2-0 advantage. Ruch would follow with another RBI groundout, this time to the shortstop to put Wilkes up 3-0.

The score would remain that way until Neumann broke the shutout with a single run in the fifth, thanks to an RBI double by Kevin Flannigan. The knights pounded out 14 hits on the day and left 16 runners stranded.

Wilkes starter Justin Huff (Montrose, Pa./Montrose) pitched five innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out one in the no decision.

A two-run seventh by Neumann tied the game at three thanks to three more hits, but the Colonels were able to escape a jam as the Knights left the bases loaded.

Neumann starter Kevin Lengyel pitched all but one inning, giving up three runs, two of which were earned off four hits while striking out six.

The Colonel bats came alive in the second game, pounding out 13 hits including a double by Andrew Garofoli (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) and a triple by Al Clocker (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West). McAndrew was one of four players to have multiple-hit games, going 2-for-2 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Clocker finished with two hits in the game as well while Geoff Miller (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) and Wetzel combined for four hits.

Joel Watson (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) put the Colonels on the board with an RBI single to left field plating McAndrew, who reached on a double. Watson would later come around to score on Clocker's triple.

Wilkes would make it 6-0 with four more runs in the top of the second off two hits, as well as a bases loaded walk by McAndrew.

The six-run advantage proved to be more than enough for starter Ryan Fetterman (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell ), who pitched a complete game four-hit shutout.

A five-run sixth inning blew the game open after the Colonels pounded out six more hits, including a two-run single by pinch hitter John Paul Palmer (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere).

The win puts the Colonels at 8-4 on the year and will return home on Tuesday when they host Marywood at 4 p.m. in Kingston. Wilkes' double header against PSU-Brandywine scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed indefinitely.