No Shortage of Runs as Wilkes Baseball Splits on Senior Day with FDU-Florham
KINGSTON – The was no shortage of runs during the Wilkes University baseball teams Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader, taking game two 11-10 after falling in game one 7-5 in nine innings at Artillery Park on Saturday afternoon on senior day. Today's doubleheader marked the final time that the Colonels took the field at Artillery Park.
Wilkes finished conference play 8-13, and now stands at 15-20 overall.
In game two, the Colonels opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first on run-scoring singles from Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) and Alex Halladay (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin) to take a 2-0 lead.
Wilkes expanded its lead in the bottom of the second when Vinny Bobbin (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) came home from third after Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) stole second and the catchers throw went into centerfield, allowing Patrizio to move up to third. Nicholas Capozzi (Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) then doubled to left-center bringing in Patrizio, followed by another double from Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) that scored Capozzi, upping the Colonels lead to 5-0.
FDU-Florham cut the lead to 5-1 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
Wilkes increased its lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the third when Brady Wing (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) doubled to bring in Alex Halladay (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin), who led off the inning with a single. Bobbin then singled to left to bring home Wing after a pitching change.
The Devils cut the lead to 7-6 with five runs in the top of the fifth, and took the lead with four runs in the top of the sixth to make the score 10-7.
The Colonels retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth with four runs. Patrizio led off with a walk and came in to score when Jack Fischer (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) launched a double to right-center. After a groundout, Reno singled to move Fischer to third and Reinert walked to load the bases and Jack Hines (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne) entered for Reno as a pinch-runner on second. Halladay followed with a walk to bring home Fischer, and after another pitching change and a pop-out, Bobbin reached when FDU-Florham's third baseman threw the ball away allowing Hines and Reinert to score.
The Devils got the tying run to second after a one-out double, with the last out coming on a dramatic play at the plate following a single to left, but Wing was able to get his throw in to Bobbin in time to cut down the tying run.
Nolan Ott (Montoursville, PA/Montoursville Area) earned the victory in the second game, tossing 0.2 innings. Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) earned his seventh save of the season getting the final two outs.
Reno finished game two 3-for4 with one run scored and one RBI while Halladay went 3-for-3 with one run scored and two RBI's. Wing added two hits with one run scored and one RBI.
In game one, Wilkes got on the board in emphatic fashion as Reinert launched a home run to left leading off the bottom of the second.
Two more runs came in to score in the bottom of the third when Patrizio singled to start the inning and scored on a double from Fischer. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Fischer scored on an RBI single from Reno to make the score 3-0.
FDU-Florham cut the score to 3-1 in the top of the fifth.
Reno handed the Colonels its three-run lead back when he led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run.
The Devils pushed across a run in the top of the sixth, and tied the score with two unearned runs in the top of the seventh.
FDU-Florham took the lead in the top of the eighth with a single run to make the score 5-4, but Wilkes responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning when pinch-hitter Vincent Uzzi (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) hit a sacrifice fly to right bringing home Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas)
The Devils retook the lead in the top of the ninth with two unearned runs.
The Colonels loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but they were unable to cut into the deficit.
Noah Durnin (Bath, PA/Northampton) was exceptional in his final start in the Navy and Gold, allowing two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings, leaving the game in line for the win. Ott suffered the defeat in game one, allowing two runs (zero earned) in 0.2 innings.
Reno (2-5, one run, two RBI's), Reinert (2-5, one run, one RBI), Wing (2-5), and Bobbin (2-3) led the way at the dish in game one.
The Colonels will conclude the 2019 season on Tuesday when they travel to the University of Scranton for a 5:00 p.m. non-conference game.
