box score

DALLAS – Tom Buckler (Plains, Pa./Coughlin) pitched seven strong innings giving up just one run with five strikeouts while Andrew Garofoli (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) remained hot with two hits as Wilkes took a 3-1 win over Misericordia in the Freedom Conference opener.

Buckler is now 6-0 on the year, while the Colonels improved to 12-4 overall and have now won nine-straight games. Despite being out-hit 8-5, an RBI single by Garofoli and a solo homer by Randy Dengler (Ashland, Pa./Tri-Valley ) was enough for Buckler, who gave up seven hits. The Colonels also took advantage of an infield error that eventually allowed Shane Keister (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) to score the go-ahead run.

The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Mike Murphy, who led off the inning with a single, scored on a Nate Newman base hit. Newman would go 3-for-4 on the day and had Misericordia's only RBI.

After picking up two hits in the top of the first inning, the Colonels would not reach safely again until Dengler hit a solo shot over the center field fence to tie the game at one. The Colonel catcher now has two home runs on the year, coming in back-to-back games.

Wilkes would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth when Keister led off the inning with an infield single and would later advance to third after a sacrifice and a groundout. Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ) reached on an error by second baseman Tony Carter that allowed Keister to score from third. Ruch picked up his third stolen base of the year and would later score on a single by Garofoli.

Sean Flecknoe (Wilkes-Barre, PA/G.A.R.) came in to pitch the final two innings for Wilkes, giving up just one hit for his first save of the season. The two teams will meet again in Kingston on Friday at 3:30 p.m.