EDWARDSVILLE – Arcadia University won both ends of a doubleheader over the Wilkes University baseball team Sunday in the home openers for the Colonels at Bruggeworth Field at the Ralston Athletic Complex. The Knights took the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) games by scores of 14-4 and 5-3.

Wilkes is now 1-3 overall and Arcadia is 3-1 overall after the two teams split a doubleheader on Saturday at Arcadia to open the 2021 season.

Arcadia used 14 runs over the first four innings including seven in the first inning to grab ahold of the seven-inning game one.

Wilkes scored two runs in the first and second innings but were unable to score on its final five trips to the plate in the 14-4 loss.

A Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) walk with the bases loaded forced in Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) who walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) then scored after he had singled when he came across on a wild pitch.

Patrizio and Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) singled with one out in the second inning and then advanced a base with two outs when Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) was hit by a pitch. They would then score on a two-run single up the middle by Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) to make the score 8-4 after two innings.

Patrizio was 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base and Malatesta was 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the offense in game one.

Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) took the game one loss going 2.0 innings and giving up eight earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) filled in on the mound going the final 3.2 innings allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three.

Ross Lawnhurst earned the win for the Knights and Trevor Mattson went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in game one.

The Colonels struck first in the nine-inning game two for one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Pronti walked and then advanced to third on a single by Reno. Kerdesky then picked up the RBI on a fielder's choice that scored Pronti.

The Knights would tie the game in the top of the fifth on a solo home run off the bat of Mattson. Bayo reached on a strike out wild pitch with one out to start a response for the Colonels in the bottom of the fifth. Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) then walked and Pronti drove them both home with a two-run double to leftfield to give Wilkes a 3-1 lead.

The Colonels would hold the lead until the top of the eighth when Arcadia struck for four runs on two hits and three Colonels errors to take a 5-3 lead. Wilkes was unable to score in the eighth and ninth innings despite having a runner on base in each inning to threaten.

Pronti led Wilkes at the plate in game two going 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.

Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) was strong on the mound for the Colonels as he went 6.2 innings allowing just one earned run on four hits. Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) suffered the loss going the final 2.1 innings allowing four runs (zero earned) on two hits and two walks. He struck out three. Six errors by the Colonels hurt them in the tight game.

Owen Margolis earned the victory for Arcadia in game two pitching the final 4.0 innings without allowing a run on one hit and six strikeouts.

The Colonels will stay put at Bruggeworth Field to open a four-game series with Misericordia when they host a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 20.