box score
The Wilkes University baseball team scored 11 runs in the first four innings while PSU Brandywine countered with nine runs over the last six, but the comeback fell short as the Colonels escaped with an 11-9 win at Artillery Park.
The No. 23 Colonels banged out 16 hits including five for extra bases as they improved to 18-5 overall and will now take on King's tomorrow afternoon in a home-and-home double header.
Wilkes cruised through the first four innings including a seven-run outburst in the second. Already leading 1-0 after a
Geoff Miller (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) RBI single to center in the first, the Colonels racked up six hits in the second including a two-run triple by Miller to right center. Miller's day was pretty much complete after the three bagger as he went 2-for-3 on the afternoon with a run scored and three RBI.
Right fielder
Al Clocker (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West) led off the second with a walk followed by a triple to deep center by
Eric Wetzel (New Berlin, N.J./Mifflinburg) for the first run of the inning. All six hits would come in consecutive at bats that included doubles by
Randy Dengler (Ashland, Pa./Tri-Valley ) and
Tom Buckler (Plains, Pa./Coughlin).
Twenty two different players saw action for the Colonels that included six pitchers. Ten different players picked up at least one hit while four had multiple-hit games. Wetzel finished with three hits, three runs batted in and two runs scored while
Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ), who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, picked up three hits with two RBI and scored two runs.
PSU Brandywine cut into the lead in the top of the third with three runs in the frame off two hits, but the Colonels would get one back in the bottom of the inning on a run scoring single by Ruch. Wilkes scored its final two runs in the fourth inning before the Nittany Lions made the game interesting by outscoring the Colonels 5-0 in the final five innings.
With nearly every starter out of the game for Wilkes, PSU Brandywine scored two runs in the sixth before scoring two more in the seventh and a single run in the ninth while leaving five runners on in those innings.
Shawn Ward (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) picked up his first win of the season, while Clocker left his right field position to pick up his first save of the year. The Wilkes pitching staff combined to strike out seven pitchers while Dengler picked off three runners by himself behind the plate.
The King's/Wilkes double header will start at 11 a.m. on King's home field before playing the second game at 3:30 p.m. at Artillery Park in Kingston.
