KINGSTON – Visiting DeSales University pounded out 15 hits at the plate and received a stellar performance from its starter on the mound on way to an 11-4 MAC Freedom victory over Wilkes University Friday afternoon at Artillery Park.
 
Wilkes drops to 6-11 overall and 3-4 in MAC Freedom play following the home defeat. DeSales improves to 8-10 overall and 5-2 in conference games.
 
DeSales used its strong bats to take a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning. Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) put the Colonels on the board in the bottom of the frame drilling a lead-off home run over the left field fence.
 
After the Bulldogs failed to score in the top of the third, Wilkes continued its comeback attempt scoring two runs in the bottom of the frame. Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) singled to left field before moving to second base on a Nicholas Capozzi (Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) groundout two batters later. Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) came through with an RBI single down the left field line scoring Harder on the play. Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) then reached on an error by the third basemen allowing Reno to score all the way from first on the Bulldog miscue as the Colonels trailed 7-3 after three innings.
 
DeSales added to its lead in the top of the fourth scoring three more runs on four hits including two RBI singles and an RBI double. After a leadoff double to start the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs plated the run on an RBI groundout to extend the advantage to 11-3 after five innings.
 
The teams went scoreless over the sixth and seventh inning before Wilkes chipped into the deficit with a lone run in the eighth. Austin Barry (Jonestown, PA/Northern Lebanon) began the inning being hit by a pitch before moving to second on Jared Angerman's (Northampton, PA/Northampton Area) single through the right side. After a strikeout and fly out, Alex Halladay (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin) connected on a two-out RBI single to left field plating Barry to make it 11-4 Bulldogs.
 
DeSales scattered two hits in the Colonels final at-bats in the ninth to seal the conference victory to open the season series.
 
Eight different Colonels reached base with a hit led by Harder's 2-for-3 performance with one run scored. Wilkes used five different pitchers in the game as Travis Woolfenden (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) entered in relief in the fifth throwing four innings scattering three hits while allowing one run.
 
DeSales received an outstanding pitching performance from John Poccia, as the starter went eight innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out nine Colonels. Evan Plummer led five Bulldogs with two or more hits going 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and two stolen bases.
 
The two teams will conclude the season series tomorrow (Saturday) with a doubleheader in Center Valley, Pa. with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.