KINGSTON, Pa. – The Wilkes University baseball team pushed 10 runs across in the bottom of the eighth inning in a dominating 17-5 win over Penn State Wilkes-Barre at Artillery Park on Friday afternoon.

The Colonels improved to 2-0 with the victory.

After sophomore pitcher Noah Durnin (Bath, PA/Northampton) got out of a jam in the top of the first inning, Wilkes scratched a run across when sophomore Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) singled to lead off the inning, sophomore Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) sacrificed him to second, and following a strikeout, stole third before junior Joe Champi (Dupont, PA/Pittston) hit a two-out single up the middle to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead.

Following a scoreless second inning, Penn State Wilkes-Barre took the lead in the top of the third on three hits and one error to secure a 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lions added another run in the top of the fourth on two hits and a hit-by-pitch to lead 3-1.

Wilkes retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Champi led off the inning with a walk. Following a flyout, senior Joshua Slocum (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) doubled to the gap in left center, driving in Champi all the way from first. Senior James Brown (Covington, PA/North Pocono) followed with a single to left to move Slocum to third, and Brown promptly stole second to put runners at second and third with one out. After a strikeout, senior Tanner Smith (Upper Black Eddy, PA/Palisades) took a two-out walk before Wing reached on a fielding error the allowed Slocum to score before Penn State's shortstop attempted to force Smith at second, throwing the ball into right field and allowing Brown to come home and give Wilkes a 4-3 lead.

Penn State scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead at 5-4.

The Colonels retook the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits and one error. Freshman Alex Halladay (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin) hit a bloop single to left field before being pinch-run for by sophomore Alex Palmer (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehannock), who stole second base. Following a flyout, junior Jarret Clymer (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) hit an rbi single into left field to drive in Palmer and tie the score. Slocum stepped up next and doubled into right field to drive in Clymer. After a pop-up, sophomore Keaton Allison (Aiken, SC/Aiken) reached on an error that allowed Slocum to come home with the final run of the inning.

Wilkes busted the game open in the bottom of the eighth, scoring 10 runs on five hits, two errors, and four walks. Fischer led off by reaching on an error, and advanced to second on a single from sophomore Jeff Roedell (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge). Both runners advanced one base on a wild pitch, and Champi hit a single up the middle to score Fischer and advance Roedell to third. Clymer followed with a chopper that the shortstop was unable to make a play on to load the bases, and following a strikeout, Brown walked to drive in a run. Allison stepped up next and reached on an error, allowing both Champi and Clymer to score with pinch-runner freshman Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) advancing to third. Pinch-Runner freshman Adam Martinese (Conway, NH/Kennett) advanced to second on a wild pitch, and sophomore pinch-hitter Jorge Gonzalez (Reading, PA/Conrad Weiser) followed with a walk to load the bases. Senior Alex Kramer (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) pinch-hit for Wing, and laced a two-run double down the left field line, driving in Martinese and Reinert and advancing Gonzalez to third. Sophomore Nick Capozzi and Roedell both walked, with Roedell's walk driving in Gonzalez. Champi came up next and hit a double down the left field line to drive in both Kramer and Capozzi and advance Roedell to third before Clymer finished the scoring with a run-scoring groundout.

Durnin went 2.2 innings in his first start, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Senior Johnny Jan Jr. (Germantown, MD/Northwest) followed with four innings, surrendering three runs on six hits with zero walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore Matt Maranca (North Burnswick, NJ/North Brunswick) earned his first career victory, throwing 0.1 innnings before senior Chris Nixon (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) (1.2 innings, two stikeouts) and freshman Jeremy Yzeik (Waymart, PA/Holy Cross) (0.1 innings) finished the game for the Colonels.

Nick Myers took the loss for the Nittany Lions, giving up seven runs (four earned) in 0.2 innings on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Champi (3-for-5, four rbi's, two runs scored), Clymer (3-for-6, two rbi's, two runs scored), Wing (3-for-5, one run scored), and Slocum (2-for-4, two rbi's, two runs scored) led Wilkes at the plate.

The Colonels return to action next Friday when they face Houghton for an 11:00 a.m. doubleheader in Fort Pierce, Florida.