EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University baseball team concluded its 2021 season with a back-and-forth 6-5 loss to Arcadia University in a winner-take-all game three of the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) quarterfinals from Bruggeworth Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Colonels finish the year with a 17-14 overall record.
 
The Knights got on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer.
 
Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) tied the score in the top of the third when he singled to left, scoring Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), who reached on a walk, and Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton), who singled to reach with Reinert scoring on interference called on Arcadia's shortstop. Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) gave Wilkes the lead when he lined a double down the right field line, bringing home Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) after he got on with a walk. Bayo came in from third when the throw back in from the Knight's right fielder got away from the cutoff man for an error, putting the Colonels ahead 4-2.
 
Arcadia pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth and another in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score.
 
Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) helped Wilkes retake the lead at 5-4 in the top of the eighth when he singled as a pinch-hitter over the head of the left fielder, scoring Reno after he hit a one-out triple that just got past a diving attempt from the Knights right fielder.
 
Arcadia took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out, two-run double to the gap in right-center.
 
The Colonels got the tying run to third with two outs in the top of the ninth, but were unable to even the score.
 
Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) fell to 2-2 on the season with the loss, allowing one run over one inning with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout. Gage Coudriet (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) pitched the first five-plus innings for Wilkes, surrendering three runs on six hits with one walk. Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) allowed one run over one inning while Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) also allowed one run in a single inning of work.
 
Reinert led the way for the Colonels at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 in his final collegiate game with one run scored. Reno finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI while Bryan Nifenecker (Amityville, NY/St. Dominic) was 2-for-3.