EDWARDSVILLE – Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) hit a walk off single in game two to lead the Wilkes University baseball team to a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader sweep of Delaware Valley University during Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Bruggeworth Field. The Colonels took game one 11-1 before Bayo's hit gave Wilkes the 5-4 victory in game two.

With the pair of wins, Wilkes concluded the regular season with a 16-12 record in the MAC Freedom. DelVal dropped to 3-25 as the Colonels won four games of the season series.

The Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the second of the seven-inning first game. Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) led off with a single to right and advanced to second on a Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) single. Bryan Nifenecker (Amityville, NY/St. Dominic) followed with a sacrifice bunt to move both baserunners ahead. Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) then singled through the left side to bring home Malatesta for the 1-0 lead.

Wilkes would add four runs in the fifth. Harder started things with a single and then Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) followed with a bunt single and Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Bayo then singled through the left side to bring home Harder and Reinert. With two outs, Patrizio and Bayo stole a base and then would come into score when Malatesta reached on a throwing error by the shortstop to make the score 5-0.

The Colonels onslaught continued in the sixth inning. Nifenecker singled to start things and scored on an RBI triple by Harder. Reinert then doubled to bring in Harder and Patrizio singled to plate Reinert. Bayo would follow with a two-run home run to left field. Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) then walked and moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a fly out. Reno then drove Pronti in with a single to center as Wilkes led 11-0.

The Aggies would crack the scoreboard with one run on two hits in the top of the seventh but Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) was excellent in moving to 5-1 on the season. He went the complete game, allowing one run on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Bayo was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs while Harder went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. Reno went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Reinert also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.

Ethan Saxe (1-3) took the loss for DelVal, going five-plus innings and allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Wilkes took the lead in the third inning of the nine-inning second game with two runs. Vinny Bobbin (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) led off with a double and then scored on a Jack Hines (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne) single through the right side. Hines then stole second and moved to third when Rob Iacono (Wantagh, NY/MacArthur) reached on a fielding error by the left fielder. Pronti then brought home Hines with a sacrifice fly.

Vincent Uzzi (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) began the fourth inning with a single through the left side and then went first-to-third on a single by Reno to right. Bobbin would load the bases when he was hit by a pitch and Bayo would come up with a two-out RBI single to bring in Uzzi to make the score 3-0.

The score would remain until the top of the eighth when Delaware Valley struck for four runs to take the lead. The Aggies used two singles and a walk off of Charles Giacometti Jr. (Dallas, PA/Dallas) to load the bases to open the frame. Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) then took to the mound. Wilkes would cut a runner down at home on a force out but then a single would bring in two runs. Following another single a fielder's choice would allow DelVal to tie the game at 3-3. Indzonka then got the next batter to strikeout but he reached on a wild pitch and the go-ahead run would score on a throwing error on the same play.

Wilkes answered to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Hines started the inning with a single but was then cut down at second when Bayo tried to move him ahead with a bunt. Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) would then single to right center as Bayo moved to third. Pronti then delivered a sacrifice fly as the Colonels tied the game at 4-4.

Stone Wormuth (Carbondale, PA/Carbondale) singled to center to open the bottom of the ninth inning. Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) then entered to pinch run and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bobbin. Bayo then delivered the game-winning hit with one-out as Spezzaferra scored from second.

Bayo went 2-for-6 with two RBIs and a run. Uzzi was 2-for-4 with a walk, Bobbin was 2-for-3 with a run, Hines was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Reno was 2-for-5.

Frank Navatta (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) was strong in the start for Wilkes as the senior went the first 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit and two walks with one strikeout. Jack Gordon (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) then pitched three strong innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two. Giacometti went one-plus innings, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk with one strikeout. Indzonka (2-1) earned the victory pitching the final 2.0 innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Garrett Zimmerman pitched six strong innings for DelVal in the no decision. Zak Clark (0-3) took the loss, allowing one run on two hits in 1.0 innings of work.

Wilkes recognized 16 seniors from the 2021 team and also three seniors from the 2020 Colonels team prior to the first game.

Wilkes now awaits final seeding and its pairing for a MAC Freedom Quarterfinal series slated to start on Saturday, May 1.