EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University baseball team was beaten twice on Sunday in a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader at Bruggeworth Field by conference leader DeSales University. The Bulldogs won game one 5-0 and game two 9-0.

With the pair of losses Wilkes dropped to 12-12 overall and in the league while DeSales improved to 17-4 overall and 16-4 in the MAC Freedom. Desales took the season series 3-1 after the two teams split yesterday.

The seven-inning first game featured a terrific pitching matchup with both Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) and Ian Kacergis entering with unbeaten records on the season.

It was the Bulldogs that used two home runs in the second inning, a three-run shot by Colin Trembley and a solo variety by Robert Lamm, to grab a 4-0 lead. Trembley added his second home run of the game in the fourth inning to make the score 5-0.

The Colonels put two runners on base in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings but were unable to find the clutch hit to cut into the Bulldogs lead.

Molitoris (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing five earned runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Tim Gilhooley (Olyphant, PA/Holy Cross) pitched the final 2.0 innings allowing just one hit with one strikeout.

Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) and Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) went 2-for-3 for the Colonels at the plate in game one.

Kacergis (4-0) picked up the complete game shutout, allowing five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Trembley was 3-for-3 with four RBIs.

The nine-inning second game followed a similar script with DeSales taking the early lead with the long ball and Wilkes unable to push baserunners across the plate.

Ethan Carmack hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put the Bulldogs up 2-0. DeSales added a run with a sacrifice fly in the third and then three more in the fifth on three hits and a walk to take a 6-0 lead. They would tack on three more in the ninth on four hits and two walks.

The Colonels had multiple baserunners on in the first, second, third, seventh, and eighth innings but were unable to score.

Jack Gordon (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) (1-3) took the loss as he started game two for Wilkes. He allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work. Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) then pitched 0.2 innings allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) went the next 3.2 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout and Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) finished off the last out with a fly ball after allowing one walk.

Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery), Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas), and Stone Wormuth (Carbondale, PA/Carbondale) all went 2-for-4 for the Colonels in game two.

Tom Berg (2-0) earned the win for DeSales as he went 6.0 innings, allowing five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Michael Pierce (two innings) and JJ Paul (one inning) combined to close out the shutout victory. Gavin Zavorski was 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored while Carmack was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Wilkes will close out the regular season next Saturday and Sunday with a MAC Freedom series against Delaware Valley University. Senior Day will take place on Saturday, April 24th followed by first pitch in the home doubleheader at Bruggeworth Field at 12:00 p.m.