game one     game two

ST. DAVIDS – The Colonel baseball continues to roll with their sweep over Eastern, winning the first game 15-6 before winning the nightcap 18-8. Wilkes pounded out 33 hits on the day and have now won eight straight and 19 out of their last 20.

Not only are the Colonels winning games, but they are doing it in a style that has never been seen by any other Wilkes baseball team. The Colonels have scored in double-digits in their last seven games and have scored 10-or-more runs 13 times this season, including 20-or-more runs on three different occasions.

Eastern became the latest victim of the No. 23 Colonels, who are on the verge of matching their earlier win streak of 11 this season. Wilkes is now on top of the league standings at 8-1, three games ahead of FDU-Florham.

Although outhit in the first game 16-15, a four-run first and six-run fourth inning proved to be the difference in the game. The Colonels took advantage of five errors by the Eagles which led to nine unearned runs.

Sophomore outfielder Al Clocker (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West) made his only hit in the game count as he tripled, clearing the bases in the first inning to set the tone for the rest of the game. Catcher Randy Dengler (Ashland, Pa./Tri-Valley ) also made his mark with just one swing of the bat as his three-run blast in the fourth helped seal the game for starter Justin Huff (Montrose, Pa./Montrose) who picked up his second win after throwing seven innings giving up three runs off 10 hits.

Freshman Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ) picked up his fourth-straight three-hit game and picked up two RBI and scored a pair of runs. Joel Watson (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) was the only other player with multiple hits with two.

In the second game, Mike McAndrew (Avoca, Pa./Pittston Area), Ruch and Tom Buckler (Plains, Pa./Coughlin) all picked up three hits, while John Florance (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Forks) went 2-for-4 with five runs batted in. Buckler smashed his first homer of the year, a two-run blast in the fourth for two of his four RBI in the game. Florance did one better with a grand slam in the seventh. Eric Wetzel (New Berlin, N.J./Mifflinburg) hit his first homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth as part of six runs in the frame.

Like the first game, the Colonels scored in bunches putting up three in the first before scoring a single run in the third. They would bust out for a total of nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings before scoring four more in the seventh.

Clocker improved to 3-0 on the year after going six innings, giving up three earned runs off 10 hits while striking out four. Mike Brennan (New Ringgold, Pa./Marian Catholic), Mark Siebel (Rumson, NJ/Rumson Fair Haven) and Sean Flecknoe (Wilkes-Barre, PA/G.A.R.) all pitched one inning of relief.

Wilkes will host FDU-Florham in a double header starting at noon on Wednesday at Artillery Park.