WILKES BASEBALL FALLS TWICE AGAINST MANHATTANVILLE IN FREEDOM DOUBLEHEADER

4/1/2012 6:02:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WILKES BASEBALL FALLS TWICE AGAINST MANHATTANVILLE IN FREEDOM DOUBLEHEADER

EDWARDSVILLE – Visiting Manhattanville College recovered from dropping the first game of the three-game set against Wilkes University posting a sweep over the Colonels Sunday in a twinbill at Artillery Park. The Valiants posted a 6-5 win in game one before recording a 10-6 victory in five innings of a rain-shortened game two.

Wilkes slips to 9-14 overall and 2-7 in Freedom games. Manhattanville evens its overall mark at 8-8 and stands 4-5 in league play.

Manhattanville opened up a 2-0 lead through three innings including a solo home run in the third. Wilkes responded cutting the lead to 2-1 in the fourth as Tyler Marino (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Meyers) and Dan Pisanchyn (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) hit back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Tay Sidler (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville Area) walked to load the bases for Scott Skammer (Dallas, PA/Dallas) who plated the Colonels run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring Marino.

With Wilkes trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Marino led off the frame with a double to right center. Pisanchyn then singled to left field as Marino crossed the plate making it 3-2 Manhattanville.

The Valiants increased their advantage in the seventh scoring three runs in their final at-bats. Wilkes entered the bottom half of the frame down 6-2 looking for a second consecutive late inning comeback.

Joe Dantas (Reading, PA/Fleetwood) doubled with one out and Lopresto followed with a walk to put runners on first and third after a wild pitch. Matt Ruch (Dallas, PA/Holy Redeemer) singled to center field scoring Dantas and Marino connected on his third hit of the game tripling to deep right field plating both Lopresto and Ruch to bring the Colonels to within one with one out. Stephen Ruch (Dallas, PA/Holy Redeemer) then struck out and Michael Olerta popped up to shortstop to end the comeback rally.

Eric Bidwell (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) recorded the loss in relief of starter Ryan Fetterman (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell ) who went six innings allowing eight hits and three runs throughout. Marino led the offense going 3-for-3 with two RBI's and two runs scored.

In game two, Manhattanville jumped out to another early lead scoring three runs in the first. Wilkes plated two runs in the bottom half of the frame using four hits including back-to-back RBI singles from S. Ruch and Pisanchyn.

After the Valiants tacked on three more runs in the second, Sidler blasted his fifth home run of the season to centerfield cutting the Manhattanville lead to 6-3 through two innings of play.

S. Ruch connected on a two-run homer in the third cutting the Valiant advantage to 8-5. Another run in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth pushed the Manhattanville lead to 10-6 through five inning before the rains fell over Artillery Park. The game was called due to the wet conditions and by rule remains an official contest since the game went five innings.

Wilkes returns to play Tuesday with a non-league road contest at Lebanon Valley College at 3:30 p.m.

Print Friendly Version