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The normally steady-fielding Colonels committed five errors that fueled an Alvernia comeback as the Crusaders left Artillery Park with a 12-7 win over the Colonels.

Trailing 4-2 going into the seventh inning, Alvernia put up five runs to take the lead for good as the Crusaders kept their Freedom Conference playoffs hopes alive as they improved to 21-15 overall and 8-8 in league play.

Wilkes on the other hand, fell to 26-7 on the year, and 11-3 in league play, but still hold a two-game lead over the rest of the teams in the conference. The Colonels need to garner at least a split with Delaware Valley tomorrow to clinch the No. 1 seed.

The Colonels took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Mike McAndrew (Avoca, Pa./Pittston Area) led off the inning before eventually scoring from third on a wild pitch. The lead wouldn't last long as the Crusaders tied the game in the top of the first when Tyler Runkle hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Steve DeBarberie, who led off the inning with a single to left.

Shane Keister (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) started a two-out rally in the bottom of the second with an infield single before Eric Wetzel (New Berlin, N.J./Mifflinburg) hit his second homer of the season just inside the left foul pole giving the Colonels a 3-1 advantage.

The lead would not phase Alvernia as it answered in its next at bat, getting a single from Tim Ahlquist and a double off the bat of Steve Bealer. A groundout to second by Chuck Krichling would score Ahlquist from third to cut Wilkes' lead to one.

The score would remain that way until Randy Dengler (Ashland, Pa./Tri-Valley ) singled to left field scoring Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ), who led off the inning with a double. Ruch went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.

Alvernia's five-run seventh was enough for the quartet of pitchers, headlined by starter Shane Zellers who pitched 6.1 innings giving up four runs off nine hits while striking out eight improving to 7-3 on the year.

Wilkes would plate three runs off Brian Longo in the eighth, but the comeback fell short as two runs in the top of the ninth by Alvernia closed the door on the Colonels.

Colonel starter Justin Huff (Montrose, Pa./Montrose) pitched six innings and gave up one earned run off seven hits in the no decision.

They will be back in action tomorrow when they head to Doylestown to take on Delaware Valley in a double header for their final two league games of the season.