FORT PIERCE, Fl. – The Wilkes University baseball team scored three runs in the top of the tenth on Wednesday afternoon to defeat Elizabethtown College by a 13-11 final during their spring trip to Fort Pierce, Fl.

The Colonels improved to 4-3 with the victory.

Neither team mustered any runs in the first inning, but Wilkes was able to break through in the top of the second, scoring three runs on four hits. Senior Joshua Slocum (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) led off the inning with a double to right field and advanced to third on a single to right field from senior James Brown (Covington, PA/North Pocono). Sophomore Keaton Allison (Aiken, SC/Aiken) stepped up next and laced a single to left to score Slocum and move Brown to second. Following a sacrifice bunt from senior Tanner Smith (Upper Black Eddy, PA/Palisades) to move up both runners and pop-out, sophomore Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) launched a double to center to score both Brown and Allison.

Elizabethtown got on the board in the bottom of third, scoring two runs on three hits.

The Colonels stretched their lead to 7-3 in the top of the sixth, pushing across four runs on five hits and a fielding error. Junior Jarret Clymer (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) led off the inning with a single to right field and moved to third on a double from Slocum. Following a strikeout, Keaton Allison (Aiken, SC/Aiken) executed the first squeeze play of the season, notching a bunt single to score Clymer and move Slocum to third. Smith was next to step to the plate, reaching on a fielding error from the shortstop that scored Slocum and moved Allison to second. Freshman Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) followed with a single to center field to load the bases, with each runner advancing a base due to a passed ball. Fischer finished the scoring in the
inning with a single to left that scored Smith and moved Wing to third.

The Blue Jays closed the gap to 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs on four hits.

Wilkes pushed across another four runs in the top of the seventh on three hits and an error. Junior Joe Champi (Dupont, PA/Pittston) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Following a Clymer walk, a double steal, and a line out, Brown hit a single to right field to score Champi and move Clymer to third. For the second inning in a row, Allison performed a squeeze play to score Clymer and advance Brown to second. After Smith singled, he stole second, allowing Brown to come home on a throwing error by the catcher. Wing followed with a walk and Fischer finished the scoring with an rbi single to right field to give the Colonels an 11-6 lead.

Elizabethtown pushed across three runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to cut the lead to 11-10.

Wilkes scored three runs in the top of the ninth on four hits. Smith led off with a single to right and advanced to second on a single from Wing. Fischer followed with a bunt single to load the bases and following a strikeout Champi doubled to right center, scoring Smith and Wing and moving Fischer to third. Clymer followed with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Fischer and moved Champi to third and give the Colonels a 14-10 lead.

The Blue Jays were able to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, scoring four runs on two hits, one error, and two walks.

Wilkes put Elizabethtown away for good in the top of the 10^th, scoring three runs on four hits. Smith started the offense with a one out single right and advanced on a stolen base. Wing moved him to third with an infield single, and Fischer brought him around to score with yet another rbi hit. Fischer then stole second, with both runners coming around to score on Champi's double.

The Blue Jays scored one run in the bottom of the tenth but that was all the Colonels would allow as they secured he hard-fought victory.

Senior Matt Kaster (Traben-Trabach, Germany/Crestwood) earned his first win of the season, pitching the final two innings while striking out four batters.

Fischer was the star at the plate for the Colonels, finishing 5-for-6 with five rbi's and two runs. Wing went 4-for-6 with two runs scored, while Smith and Allison each went 3-for-5. Champi, Slocum, and Brown added two hits each.