AMBLER, Pa. – The Wilkes University baseball team forced the "if necessary" winner-take-all game three after its doubleheader split in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) baseball tournament at Arcadia University on Saturday afternoon. The two games were complete opposites, with the Knights winning the opening game in a 4-3 pitcher's duel. The Colonels bashed their way to the victory in game two, earning a 12-8 victory.
 
The game two win was the first postseason victory for head coach Kevin Gryboski '95, and the program's first since at least 2008.
 
Wilkes improved to 17-13 after the two games.
 
In game two, the Colonels opened the scoring in the top of the first when Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) led off with a double, moved to third on Jonah Harder's (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.
 
Wilkes broke the game open in the top of the second with six runs. Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single up the middle from Bryan Nifenecker (Amityville, NY/St. Dominic). Nifenecker would reach third with Patrizio getting to second on a walk and a stolen base before Harder brought home Nifenecker on a groundout. Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) reached with a walk and moved up to second on a balk that pushed Patrizio to third, with both runners coming on a single to right by Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas). Kerdesky got to third after a stolen base and passed ball and following a Stone Wormuth (Carbondale, PA/Carbondale) walk, came in to score when Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) singled to right-center. Reno reached again after a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases, and all runners moved up on a wild pitch that brought home Wormuth to make the score 7-0.
 
In the top of the third, Reinert led off with a single and moved to second on a bunt single from Patrizio. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Kerdesky hit a two-out, two-run single to right to make the score 9-0.
 
Reno singled to lead off the top of the fourth, moving to second on a single from Nifenecker. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Harder came through with a two-out, two-run single up the middle to bring the score to 11-0.
 
Arcadia began to battle back in the bottom of the fourth with two runs.
 
Reno added to Wilkes' lead in the top of the fifth when he singled to score Wormuth, who reached on a single to center, moved to second on a wild pitch, and reached third on a single to center from Malatesta.
 
The Knights tacked on six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Arcadia was able to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) slammed the door to help the Colonels earn the victory.
 
Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) earned the victory after tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) pitched the first 4.1 innings, surrendering eight runs (six earned) on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Indzonka closed the game with a scoreless inning on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
Kerdesky finished 3-for-4 with 4 rbi's and one run scored. Malatesta went 3-for-5 with one rbi and Reno was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an rbi to lead the way at the plate in game two.
 
The Knights opened the scoring in game one with a run in the bottom of the third.
 
Wilkes responded in the top of the fourth when Kerdesky brought home Pronti with a groundout after Pronti doubled to right-center and moved to third on a wild pitch.
 
Arcadia added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
 
The Colonels cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the sixth on a run-scoring single to left-center that brought home Malatesta, who walked and reached second on a wild pitch.
 
Nifenecker tied the score for Wilkes in the top of the eighth with a single to right that scored Malatesta, who reached on a single to left and moved to third on a single to right from Reno.
 
The Knights won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off walk.
 
Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) suffered the defeat, allowing one run without allowing a hit over 1.2 innings with six walks. JT Hibschman (Millville, NJ/Millville) tossed 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
 
Reno finished game one 3-for-3 with one rbi while Nifenecker was 2-for-4 with an rbi.
 
The two teams will play the winner-take-all game three tomorrow at noon at Bruggeworth Field. As a reminder, Wilkes does not allow any visiting fans to the Ralston Athletic Complex.