EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University baseball team scored five runs in the first two innings and used timely double plays on defense to defeat visiting Penn College 6-2 on Monday at Bruggeworth Field in non-conference action.

Wilkes improved to 11-4 overall with the home victory while Penn College dropped to 7-9 overall with the loss.

The Colonels scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning to grab the lead. Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) reached on a walk and then stole second. Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) then reached on a single to the shortstop. Patrizio would score from second when Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) reached on a fielder's choice as the Wildcats second baseman threw wild to the shortstop trying to get the force out on Bayo which allowed him to advance to third as well. Kerdesky then stole second. AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) then brought in Bayo with a sacrifice fly that moved Kerdesky to third as well and he would later score on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

Todd Kolbicka (Hanover, PA/Hanover) walked to lead off the second inning, moved ahead to second on an error on a pickoff attempt and then went to third on a groundout. Connor Morgan (Dallas, PA/Lake Lehman) then doubled down the right field line to bring in Kolbicka. Patrizio and Bayo then walked to load the bases and Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Morgan to make the score 5-0.

The Wildcats would get one run on three hits in the top of the sixth inning.

Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run to left center for his second deep ball of the season and put the Colonels ahead 6-1.

Penn College threatened in the ninth, scoring on a bases loaded passed ball but Nate Jaslar (Hanover, PA/Hanover) was able to come in with one out and record two strikeouts with runners on second and third to earn the save and 6-2 win for the Colonels.

Gage Coudriet (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) (2-0) pitched five strong innings in the start to earn the victory. He allowed just three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Tegan Shortlidge (Berwick, PA/Berwick) went 2.2 innings allowing one run on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) came in to get the final out in the eighth inning via the strikeout. Jaslar earned his second save of the season.

Coudriet was able to get the Wildcats to ground into inning ending double plays in the first and third innings while Shortlidge did the same in the seventh and got the first two outs of the eighth via a double play before Hoedl came on.

The Colonels scattered six hits offensively with Bayo, Brosious, Luksic, Kolbicka, Morgan, and Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) each collecting one hit. Patrizio walked three times and stole three bases.

Jacob Carles went 3-for-3 with a walk for Penn College while Zach Ellis (0-1) took the loss on the mound.

Wilkes returns to action Friday with a single nine-inning Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom game against Arcadia University at Bruggeworth Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.