Game One
Game Two

The Wilkes University baseball team hosted Misericordia to a double-header on Thursday, taking both games by scores of 2-1 and 9-5 and winning its first Freedom Conference contests.

On the mound for the Colonels in the first game was senior Tom Buckler (Plains, Pa./Coughlin), making his fourth start of the season. Buckler cruised through the first inning, walking one but striking out three to start off the game. In the bottom of the frame Wilkes had the bases loaded with two outs when Rich Cosgrove (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Myers H.S.) singled to left, scoring two runs and giving the Colonels an early 2-0 lead.

Misericordia answered in the top of the second, scoring on a single to center and narrowing the deficit to one run. The Cougars threatened again in the fourth, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs. Buckler got the next batter to ground out though, keeping the score 2-1 in favor of the Colonels.

Each pitcher cruised through the middle innings, as neither team was able to come out of its shell offensively. In the top of the sixth the Cougars had four hits, but Randy Dengler (Ashland, Pa./Tri-Valley ) threw out a Misericordia runner, and Al Clocker (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West) gunned down the game-tying run at home to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth Wilkes got its leadoff man on in the form of Angus Neary (Old Forge/Riverside), who stole second soon after. Unfortunately, the Colonels were not able to drive him in, keeping the score 2-1 after six.

In the top of the seventh Sean Flecknoe (Wilkes-Barre, PA/G.A.R.) came in to try and wrap up the game for the Colonels. After striking out the first, the next batter walked, but a double play by Matt Ruch (Dallas, Pa./Holy Redeemer ) and Carmen Lopresto (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) ended the game, 2-1.

Wilkes was led by Cosgrove offensively, who drove in the only runs for the Colonels in the game. Buckler had an outstanding performance, giving up eight hits but only allowing one run to cross the plate while striking out seven batters. Flecknoe picked up the save for Wilkes. Neither team committed an error in the contest.

In game two Ryan Fetterman (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell ) was on the mound for the Colonels, making his fourth start of the year for Wilkes. In the first inning the Cougars advanced a runner to third base with two outs, and soon after drove him in on an infield hit, taking an early lead. Wilkes led off the bottom of the frame with a double by Lopresto, putting a runner in scoring position with no outs. Mike McAndrew (Avoca, Pa./Pittston Area) then singled to center, scoring Lopresto and tying up the game. After an Angus Neary (Old Forge/Riverside) single, Ruch singled to center, scoring McAndrew and giving Wilkes the lead. Wilkes added two more runs on ground outs, making the score 4-1 after one inning played.

Misericordia scored one in the second, narrowing the Wilkes lead to two. Ruch led off the bottom of the third for the Colonels, and blasted a shot over the left field fence, pushing the Colonel lead to three. The Cougars had a runner on in the fourth, but a lineout-double play to Trevin Jaggers in left ended the inning.

In the fifth, Ruch hit a one-out triple to right field, putting a runner in scoring position for the Colonels. Clocker then single to left, scoring Ruch and building on the Wilkes lead. Soon after, Dengler singled to left, scoring Clocker from third and making the score 7-2.

In the top of the sixth, the Cougars made a charge back into the game, as a triple scored two runs and cut the deficit to three. A groundout scored one more for Misericordia, who was back in the game with one inning left to play.

In the bottom of the sixth Wilkes answered, as Angus Neary (Old Forge/Riverside) hit a deep blast to left center, making the score 9-5 and giving the Colonels some breathing room.

Flecknoe came in to close things up for Wilkes, as the Colonels took both games on the day, winning the second 9-5. Ruch and Neary each had home runs in the contest, while Fetterman picked up the win, making him 3-2 on the season.

With the two victories Wilkes is now 6-9 (2-6) on the season, and will look to stick to its winning ways when it heads up to Dallas, Pa. on Monday, April 5 to take on Misericordia. That game will begin at 3:00 p.m.