CENTER VALLEY, PA – The Wilkes University baseball team saw its win streak reach nine games before host DeSales University won game two of a Saturday Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader at Weiland Park. Wilkes won game one 9-4 before DeSales turned the fortunes in game two with a 4-2 final.

Wilkes now stands at 12-10 overall and in the conference with the split while MAC Freedom leader DeSales is 15-4 overall and 14-4 in the league.

The Colonels took to the scoreboard first in the seven-inning first game with two runs in the top of the third. Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) singled to center field and then moved to second on a single to third by Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery). Harder moved to third when Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) reached on a fielder's choice with Patrizio out at second. Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) then delivered a two-out, two-run double to left center to bring in Harder and Bayo.

Wilkes added to the lead in the fourth in a big way. Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) led off with a walk and would score on a double by Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) to right center. The Colonels next run came on a double steal with Bryan Nifenecker (Amityville, NY/St. Dominic) taking home and Harder going to second. Nifenecker reached on a fielder's choice and Harder had singled. Patrizio then was hit by a pitch and Bayo doubled down the left field line to plate Harder and Patrizio. Pronti would bring in Bayo with an RBI single to center to make the score 7-0.

Malatesta singled to open the fifth inning and moved to second a wild pitch. With two outs, Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) would double down the left field line to bring home Malatesta. The hit was the 100th of Reinert's career.

The Bulldogs would cut the lead in half with four runs with just one earned following a Wilkes error in the bottom of the fifth. Start JT Hibschman (Millville, NJ/Millville) was forced out of the game following 4.2 innings with Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) entering to record the final out of the inning via the strikeout to get the Colonels out of the jam.

Wilkes would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh to make the score 9-4. Reno led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a Harder single. Reno then scored when the shortstop made a fielding error when Patrizio put the ball in play.

Hibschman (2-1) earned the victory, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing four runs (one earned) one five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Martens threw 1.1 innings allowing just one walk with two strikeouts and Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) pitched a perfect seventh inning to nail down the Colonels ninth-straight win.

Harder went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead Wilkes at the plate. Pronti was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Bayo was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs. Reno finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run.

John Poccia (2-2) took the loss for DeSales, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings.

Wilkes scored first in the nine-inning second game in the top of the fourth inning. Pronti led off with a double to left field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas). Malatesta then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and picked up the RBI with Pronti scoring.

Gage Coudriet (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) was perfect through three innings on the mound for the Colonels until the Bulldogs leadoff man in the bottom of the fourth singled. DeSales would take the lead with three unearned runs as Wilkes committed two errors.

The score would remain the same as both starting pitchers continued to throw well until Wilkes tacked on a run to make it 3-2 in the top of the eighth. Vinny Bobbin (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) singled to shortstop and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Patrizio. He then progressed to third on a wild pitch and would score on a sacrifice fly to left field by Bayo.

DeSales would get the run back in the bottom of the eighth following a double and single that forced Coudriet from the game. Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) entered to get a fly out to right center to end the Bulldogs threat with the Colonels trailing 4-2.

Brandon Laino entered and shutdown the Wilkes offense with a one-two-three ninth to earn the save. Ryan Rieber (4-1) went 8.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts to earn the victory.

Coudriet (2-2) was strong in the losing effort as he went 7.2 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Pronti was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The two teams will meet Sunday at Bruggeworth Field to decide the season series with a doubleheader scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch in game one.