PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Wilkes University baseball team was unable to push across any runs until the top of the ninth in its 7-1 loss at Manhattanville on Friday afternoon to open the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom series between the two teams.

The Colonels fell to 16-13 overall and 5-8 in MAC Freedom play with the loss.

The Valiants scored two runs in the first, second, and seventh, and one in eighth before Wilkes freshman Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) earned a bases loaded walk to drive in junior Joshua Slocum (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) in the top of the ninth with the Colonels lone run.

Wilkes junior Chris Nixon (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) suffered the loss, pitching the first 6.2 innings surrendering six earned runs on four hits while walking five and striking out a career-high 12 batters, his second consecutive double-digit strikeout performance. Freshman Noah Durnin (Bath, PA/Northampton) threw the final 1.1 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits with one strikeout.

Slocum led the Colonels at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run scored.

Wilkes returns to action tomorrow when it will host Manhattanville for a 1 p.m. MAC Freedom doubleheader at Artillery Park.