Joe Dantas collected four hits in the Colonels 17-13 victory over Manhattanville Friday

COLONELS TRIUMPH IN SLUGFEST OVER MANHATTANVILLE, 17-13

4/5/2013 8:10:00 PM

Box Score

COLONELS TRIUMPH IN SLUGFEST OVER MANHATTANVILLE, 17-13

KINGSTON, PA – The Wilkes University baseball team got four hits apiece from Carmen Lopresto (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) and Joe Dantas (Reading, PA/Fleetwood) as the Colonel bats pounded out 22 hits in a 17-13 win over Manhattanville College in Freedom Conference action Friday.

Wilkes improves to 11-7 and 3-5 in league games while the Valiants drop to 6-16 and 3-7 in the Freedom.

Wilkes struck first plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning. After a leadoff Lopresto single, Bobby Schappell (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville) singled and moved to second on a Joe Dantas (Reading, PA/Fleetwood) bunt single. Stephen Ruch (Dallas, PA/Holy Redeemer) delivered the major blow in the inning with a two-run double off the left field fence. A Tim Benner (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia) RBI groundout and an RBI single from Marcus Leaf (Reading, PA/Berks Catholic) capped the Colonel scoring in the first frame.

After trading zeroes through the second inning, the Valiants struck for six runs in the top of the third. A two run home run from Hans Arias and a two run triple from Bobby Guerra capped the inning for Manhattanville. In the bottom of the third, Wilkes made it a 6-5 game when they garnered a single tally as Ruch singled to lead off the inning and eventually came around to score on a Lopresto single.

The Valiants plated a lone run in the top of the fifth, before Wilkes struck for seven in the bottom of the frame. Scott Skammer (Dallas, PA/Dallas) and Lopresto singled to begin the inning, and both scored on a two run single by Dantas. After stealing second, Dantas went to third on a wild pitch while Ruch walked to give Wilkes runners on the corners. An errant throw by the pitcher allowed Dantas to score and Ruch to advance to second. A Tyler Marino (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Meyers) walk set the stage for a two run triple to right center from Tim Benner (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia). Skammer knocked Benner in on a single and Lopresto plated Leaf on a single who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.

Manhattanville snagged two runs back in the top of the sixth and four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 13-12 lead. Their lead was short lived when Wilkes tied the game on an RBI groundout from Dan Pisanchyn (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) in the bottom half of the frame.
The Valiants loaded the bases on two hits and a hit batter, but Tom Ring (Massapequa Park, NY/St. John the Baptist) got Arias to ground into a double play to escape the jam and keep it tied at 13.

Wilkes grabbed the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Marino led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Nick Craig (Springfield, PA/The Haverford School) scored on a double from Skammer. Skammer and Lopresto, who was intentionally walked, scored on a two run double to right center from Schappell. Schappell then found home on a Dantas single. The Valiants had a runner on base, but Tom Ring (Massapequa Park, NY/St. John the Baptist) induced the game ending 5-4-3 double play to preserve the lead and the win.

Ring picked up his first collegiate win, working two innings and allowing one hit while picking up one strikeout. Joe Palmeri suffered the loss allowing four runs in one inning of work.

Wilkes will return to action tomorrow when they travel to play Manhattanville for the doubleheader of the three game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

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