Game One Box / Game Two Box

WILKES-BARRE – Carmen Lopresto (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) supplied the late-game heroics in game one, while Rich Cosgrove (Wilkes-Barre/Meyers) carried the load offensively in game two to help lift the Colonels past King's at Artillery Park on Tuesday, as Wilkes defeated the Monarchs 7-6 and 9-3 to remain unbeaten in conference play.

In game one Wilkes held a 1-0 lead through the first three innings until the Monarchs rattled off five runs in three innings. The Colonels hung around, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth inning but heading into the seventh behind 5-3. In the top of the frame, King's tacked on another run, extending its lead to three runs.

Joel Watson (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) started off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homerun to deep left-center field, bringing the Colonels to within two. After Tay Sidler (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville Area) and Rich Cosgrove (Wilkes-Barre/Meyers) singles, King's committed a crucial error with two outs, giving Wilkes life. With runners on second and third, Lopresto slapped a single to left field, scoring both runners and sealing the 7-6 come-from-behind victory.

Al Clocker (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West) started the game for Wilkes, going six innings and giving up three earned runs. A.J. Mihaly (Berwick, PA/Berwick Area) came in relief and picked up the win. Lopresto was 3-for-4 in the game with two RBI's and two runs scored, while Watson and Sidler each had two hits.

Sean Flecknoe (Wilkes-Barre, PA/G.A.R.) got the nod in game two in search for his fourth win. It looked like he'd cruise to that victory early, as the Colonels placed three runs on the board in the second inning behind hits from Cosgrove, Clocker, and Tom Plessl (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland). King's answered, scoring three runs over the third and fourth inning to tie up the contest.

In the fifth Wilkes was primed for another big inning, as Plessl and Matt Ruch (Dallas, PA/Holy Redeemer) walked and Angus Neary (Old Forge/Riverside) singled to start things off. After a Sidler RBI single and a two RBI single from Clocker, Cosgrove drove a pitch to left-center, driving in two more runs and giving Wilkes a comfortable 8-3 lead.

Mark Siebel (Rumson, NJ/Rumson Fair Haven) then came in relief of Flecknoe, pitching two flawless innings and sealing a 9-3 victory for the Colonels. Flecknoe ended up picking up his fourth win of the season, surrendering just the three runs and striking out four batters. Cosgrove finished 2-of-3 with three RBI's, while Clocker, Sidler, and Neary each had two hits in the contest.

With the two victories Wilkes improves to 10-4 (5-0) on the season and finds itself atop the Freedom Conference. The Colonels are currently on an eight-game winning streak.

Wilkes will look to continue its winning ways when it heads up to King's College to take on the Monarchs in a single-header on Wednesday, March 30. That game will being at 3:30 p.m.