EDWARDSVILLE, PA – The Wilkes University Colonels hosted crosstown rival King's College for the first of two doubleheaders between the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom rivals on the weekend. 
 
The Colonels (9-9) walked off in the first game 6-5 after a five-run fifth by the Monarchs (4-8) before putting away King's early in a 11-4 affair in the second game.
 
The Navy and Gold struck early with junior JT Hibschman (Millville, NJ/Millville) taking the mound.  Senior Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) took advantage of a wild pitch to notch the first run, before senior Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) blasted a double into left center in the third to bring home three runs.  Senior Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) made it 5-0 with a single in the third.  Hibschman shut down King's through four innings, but was forced from the game after a five-run fifth.
 
Sophomore Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) took the mound and shut down the Monarchs for the rest of the first game.  The Colonels took advantage with loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh, when sophomore Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) took advantage of a throwing error to score the walk off run. 
 
The Colonels needed no late runs to put away King's in game two as senior Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) made the pitching start.  Senior Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) smashed a two-run homer in the first inning, before Patrizio continued his strong day by scoring two with a deep triple to right field in the second.  Kerdesky brought home a run with a sacrifice line drive to left field, while senior Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) brought in the second run of the third inning.
 
King's struck twice in the fourth, but a Reno triple in the fifth cleared the loaded bases and kept the Colonels comfortably ahead.  Kerdesky singled in an RBI, while sophomore Stone Wormuth (Carbondale, PA/Carbondale) brought in a run on a sacrifice fly to finish the Navy and Gold's scoring for the day in the sixth inning.  King's notched two more runs in the eighth but were unable to overcome the Colonels offense.
 
Martens and Molitoris each took home wins at pitcher on the day for the Colonels, with both throwing three strikeouts.  Hibschman threw six strikeouts in game one of the doubleheader.  Reno led the Colonels batters with four RBIs between both games, while Kerdesky hit 5-for-7 with two runs and two RBIs on the afternoon.  Patrizio hit 5-for-7 as well, accounting for four runs and two RBIs while walking once.
 
The Colonels look to continue their hot streak as they travel crosstown to finish the season series with King's tomorrow afternoon.  First pitch is scheduled for noon as the Colonels look to extend their winning streak.