KINGSTON, Pa. – The Wilkes University baseball team opened its 2017 season with an 11-2 win over Penn State-Schuylkill on Thursday afternoon at Artillery Park, banging out 14 hits in the process.

The Colonels improved to 1-0 with the victory.

Both teams got a runner on base in the first inning, but neither team was able to push a run across.

After Wilkes stymied a Nittany Lions scoring chance in the top of the second, the Colonels got on the board when with one out senior Joshua Slocum (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) hit a single up the middle and came all the way around to score on a double deep to center field from senior James Brown (Covington, PA/North Pocono) to give Wilkes a 1-0 lead.

Schuylkill was held scoreless in the top of the third before the Colonels pushed three runs across in the bottom of the frame. With one out, sophomore Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) hit a
double to center and came around to score when sophomore Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) followed with an RBI double of his own. Sophomore Matt Dacey (Mountaintop, PA/Holy Redeemer) reached on an error, and Fischer came in to score with Dacey advancing to third on a double by junior Joe Champi (Dupont, PA/Pittston).  With runners on second and third, junior Jarret Clymer attempted a squeeze play that was foiled when Dacey was tagged out at the plate, giving Wilkes runners on first and third with two outs. Clymer proceeded to steal second, and Champi came home with Clymer advancing to third on an RBI single from Slocum to finish the scoring in the third.

Wilkes broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring seven runs on five hits and an error. Slocum started the inning with a double down the left field line, and came around to score when Brown launched his third career home run over the center field fence to give the Colonels a 6-0 lead. Freshman Keaton Allison (Aiken, SC/Aiken) followed Brown by reaching on an error and advanced to second on a single by senior Tanner Smith (Upper Black Eddy, PA/Palisades) before being lifted for pinch-runner freshman Tyler Walther (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) who made his first career appearance behind the plate the next inning. Wing followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with one out. Fischer came up next and walked, followed by Dacey getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Champi stepped in the box next and laced a single to left to drive in Walther and Smith with Fischer advancing to second. Clymer's turn was next and he launched a double to the left-center gap to drive in Champi and Dacey and finish the scoring in the inning.

Penn State scored two unearned runs in the top of the eighth to finish the scoring.

Senior Matthew Reese (Wellsboro, PA/Wellsboro) started on the mound for Wilkes, giving up one hit over four innings with three strikeouts. Senior Quinn Kelly (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) followed with two scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one strikeout to earn his first win of the season. Sophomore Andrew Stambaugh (York, PA/Dallastown) (one inning, two strikeouts, sophomore Zach Metz (one inning, three hits, two unearned runs), and freshman Jason Tisa (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) (one inning) finished the game for the Colonels.

Champi led the way at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with three rbi's and two runs scored. Slocum also went 3-for-4 with one rbi and two runs scored while Brown (2-for-4, three rbi's, one run scored), and Wing (2-for-3, one run scored) are the Colonels with multiple hits.

Wilkes returns to the field tomorrow when it hosts Penn State Wilkes-Barre for a 1:30 p.m. start time at Artillery Park.