FORT PIERCE, FL – The Wilkes University baseball team defeated Gettysburg College 13-2 on Tuesday afternoon to improve to 7-0 on the season as the Colonels continued their Spring Break Trip.

It is the best start to a season for the Colonels in the live stats era dating back to at least 2009. Gettysburg dropped to 1-4 on the season.

Tegan Shortlidge (Berwick, PA/Berwick) made his collegiate debut on the mound for the Colonels, pitching a 1-2-3 first inning.

Wilkes started the scoring in the bottom of the first with three runs. Michael Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) walked and then stole second. Dominick Bayo (Swoyersville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) and Nick Pronti (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) both walked to load the bases and then Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) reached on a fielder's choice that scored Patrizio as Pronti was out at second. Bayo then scored on an error by the pitcher and Brandon Reno (Hunlock Creek, PA/Northwest Area) then hit a run-scoring double as Kerdesky scored from third to make it 3-0 and forcing the Bullets starter from the game. The hit was the 100th of Reno's career in a Wilkes uniform and his 144th overall.

The lead doubled to 6-0 in the second inning when Bayo scored on a Kerdesky RBI ground out and Reno hit the Colonels first home run of the season, a two-run blast to left that also scored Pronti.

Wilkes added three more runs in the fifth when Pronti hit a three-run double to leftfield that scored Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) (hit by pitch), Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) (single), and Bayo (single).

Gettysburg found the scoreboard with two runs on two hits and a walk in the seventh to make it 9-2.

In the eighth Wilkes added four more runs. First, AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) brought in Kerdesky (walk) with a triple to left. Brosious would then score on a passed ball. Patrizio capped the scoring as he hit a two-run triple to left that scored Alexis Velez (Caguas, PR/Notre Dame) (walk) and Connor Morgan (Dallas, PA/Lake Lehman) (walk) to make it 13-2.

Shortlidge (1-0) went 6.1 innings in his debut. He allowed just four hits and one run with one walk and four strikeouts. Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) pitched the final 2.2 innings for the Colonels as he allowed five hits and one run with two strikeouts.

Pronti and Reno were both 2-for-4 with three RBI's to lead the offense while Bayo was also 2-for-4 with three runs scored and Alessi joined the crowd with a 2-for-4 day as well.

Wilkes will enjoy a day off in Florida tomorrow before returning to the diamond on Thursday with a doubleheader against Marywood University starting at 11:30 a.m.