SCRANTON, PA – In a back-and-forth game that saw three lead changes and two ties, visiting Wilkes University held a three-run lead late in the game only to see host Scranton battle back to tie and take the lead over the final three innings to post a 17-16 victory Tuesday afternoon at Connell Park.
 
Wilkes fell to 6-16 overall following the loss while Scranton improved to 10-14 overall on the year after the home win.
 
Wilkes jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Matthew Reinert hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Joe Champi (Dupont, PA/Pittston) on the play. Alex Kramer (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East)'s two-run single plated Joshua Slocum (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) and Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) to up the advantage to 3-0 after the Colonels first at bats.
 
Scranton answered with seven runs in the bottom of the first frame to take a 7-3 lead highlighted by a three-run home run and two-run double.
 
Wilkes was back at it on the offensive in the second when Slocum connected on a two-run single through the left side followed by another Reinert sacrifice fly to cut the Royals lead to 7-6.
 
The offenses continued to roll for both squads into the bottom of the second as Scranton used a two-run single and two RBI groundouts to push its lead back to 11-6.
 
One swing of the bat in the top of the third cut into the Royals lead when Champi drilled a three-run bomb as Scranton still led 11-9. The Royals continued to score runs in the bottom of the third using a two-run triple to score twice to lead 13-9 through three innings of play.
 
Wilkes the took over in the next three innings stopping the Scranton scoring and continuing to score themselves. Keaton Allison (Aiken, SC/Aiken) doubled in two runs in the fourth followed by a two-run fifth including a Slocum RBI single to tie the game at 13.
 
Wilkes took its first lead in the sixth when Jorge Gonzalez (Reading, PA/Conrad Weiser) singled home Kramer followed by another RBI single from Fischer and another from Slocum as the Colonels led 16-13.
 
Scranton began its comeback in the seventh scoring two runs in the frame before tying the game in the eighth. Scranton's lead-off batter reached after being hit by a pitch before moving to third on a single. The next batter flied out to center field scoring the game-winning run on the play.
 
Champi and Slocum led all Wilkes hitters going 3-for-5 combining for seven RBI's. Kramer, Jarret Clymer (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom), Fischer, Allison and Gonzalez each recorded two hits as Wilkes pounded out 15 hits in the contest.
 
Wilkes used four pitchers through the nine-inning game. Andrew Stambaugh (York, PA/Dallastown) got the start going one inning allowing six runs on six hits. Nicholas Poyer (Howell, NJ/Howell) pitched two innings allowing six runs on four hits while Noah Durnin (Bath, PA/Northampton) pitched 3.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits. James Zajac (Windham, PA/Northeast Bradford) suffered the loss pitching the final two innings allowing one run on one hit.
 
Wilkes returns to MAC Freedom play Thursday hosting Delaware Valley University for the first game of a three game series at 3:30 p.m. at Artillery Park.