MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Ten runs through the first two innings and six solid innings on the mound from Matt Amaral (Taylor, PA/Riverside) helped the Wilkes University baseball team open its season with an 18-5 win over Lehman College on Sunday afternoon.

The Colonels are now 1-0 this season.

Wilkes got the game started with three hits in the first inning, as Tyler Walther (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) and Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) knocked out RBI singles before Vincent Uzzi (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) opened his college career with a bang, knocking a three-run home run to put the Colonels up by five.

Wilkes didn't let up in the second, getting another five runs on five hits. Joe Champi (Dupont, PA/Pittston) continued the hit parade with a three run homer of his own to bring home Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) and Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) after both walked. Following a line out, Walther stepped into the box a second time and ripped a home run of his own. Reinert followed with another single before Uzzi brought him in with a triple to give himself seven total bases in his first two at-bats and increase the lead to 10-0.

Lehman got on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the third.

The Colonels added two runs in the fourth and two in the sixth highlighted by a Reinert two-run home run in the top of the sixth bringing home Nick Capozzi after he singled and advanced to second on an error by the catcher.

Wilkes added runs in the seventh and eighth, and two in the ninth with the big hit a double by Eric Beideman (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) to advance Capozzi to third after he singled, followed by a Reinert sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Jack Hines (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne).

Amaral went the first six innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts to earn his first career victory. Zach Adamchick (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg), Nicholas Poyer (Howell, NJ/Howell), and Francis Navatta (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) finished the final three innings.

Reinert led the Colonels at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four rbi's and four runs scored. Walther finished 3-for-4 with three runs and three rbi's while Capozzi was 3-for-6 with two runs scored.

Wilkes returns to action Monday morning for a non-conference game against Mount Aloysius.