Wilkes Baseball Rallies Late to Give Gryboski First Win
FORT PIERCE, Fl. – The Wilkes University baseball team scored four runs over the last four innings to earn head coach Kevin Gryboski '95 his first career win as the leader of the Colonels with a 9-7 win over Massachusetts Maritime Academy to open the 2019 season in Fort Pierce, Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Wilkes improved to 1-0 with the win.
The Colonels wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first when Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) was hit by a pitch followed by a double to right-center off the bat of Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) to give Wilkes second and third with no outs. Nicholas Capozzi (Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) brought home Patrizio with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead.
Maritime tied the score with an unearned run in the bottom of the third.
Wilkes answered immediately with four runs in the top of the fourth. The Colonels loaded the bases with walks to Capozzi and Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) followed by a bunt base hit from Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). After a strikeout, Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) knocked a two-run double down the left field line to bring home Capozzi and Reno. Eric Beideman (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) followed with a two-run single of his own to put Wilkes ahead 5-1.
The Buccaneers wasted no time responding, adding two runs on one hit and three walks to cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning, and tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Colonels regained the lead in the top of the sixth. Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) started the rally with an infield single before Beideman singled to left to put runners at first and second with one out. After Wing moved to third on a wild pitch, Patrizio placed a bunt single that split the pitcher and first baseman allowing Wing to score.
Wilkes added on in the top of the seventh with two runs. Reno led off with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Harder that was thrown wide, allowing Harder to reach base. Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) walked next with all three runners advancing on a wild pitch before Giacometti hit a sacrifice fly to left bring home Harder, putting the Colonels ahead 8-5.
Maritime plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run triple.
Wilkes finished the scoring in the top of the ninth on a base hit up the middle from Patrizio bringing home Reinert, who started the inning with a single of his own.
Zach Adamchick (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout while Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) notched the first save of the season with 1.1 clean innings. Noah Durnin (Bath, PA/Northampton) started the game on the hill, surrendering three runs (two earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and four walks over four innings.
Patrizio (2-5, one run, two rbi), Capozzi (2-4, one run, one rbi), Reno (2-4, two runs), Giacometti (2-4, one run, three rbi), and Beideman (2-4, two rbi) all finished with multi-hit games.
The Colonels return to action tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. when they face Penn State Behrend in a non-conference game.
