EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University Baseball team split their home opener games losing the first 7-5 and winning the second 7-6 in non-conference play against the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Colonels open the season with a 1-1 record and the Fighting Tigers being 1-1 on the season as well.
 
Wilkes scored their first run of the first game in the bottom of the third inning when Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) hit a double to send Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) home. The Colonels scored again in the bottom of the fourth with Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) hitting a double to right field, sending Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) home, and cutting Cobleskill's lead to one.
 
The Fighting Tigers led the Colonels 3-2 heading into the fifth inning.
 
The Colonels were able to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Luksic scoring to tie things up and Connor Morgan (Dallas, PA/Lake Lehman) scoring to break the tie. Luksic was sent home after Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) hit a double to left center and Morgan scored after Ryan Johnston (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) reached on a throwing error. Wilkes was up 4-3 heading into the seventh inning.
 
Cobleskill was able to score three times in the top of the seventh inning, lifting them past Wilkes in the first game. The Colonels were able to score once in the bottom of the seventh off a hit from Luksic, sending Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) home.
 
Vrabel had 10 putouts in the game and Luksic had five. Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) had four strikeouts in the game and Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) had two.
 
The Colonels picked it up in their second game against the Fighting Tigers taking the lead early by scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning. Johnston hit a single that allowed Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) to score, and Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) hit a double sending Johnston home.
 
The Fighting Tigers caught up and took the lead after scoring three runs in the second and third innings. Wilkes answered back in the bottom of the fourth scoring two runs and regaining the lead after Show hit a double that sent Vrabel and Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) home. The Colonels led Cobleskill 4-3 heading into the seventh inning.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Fighting Tigers were able to score three runs, leading the Colonels by two. Wilkes earned their first run of the seventh when Markert reached on an error, allowing Johnston to score and cutting Cobleskill's lead to one. The Colonels then scored twice, taking the lead and the 7-6 victory, after Melberger hit a double.
 
Alessi had eight putouts in the game and Vrabel had seven. Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary) started and earned five strikeouts in the game after pitching 2.2 innings. Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) earned two strikeouts, and also earned a 1-0 record after pitching 2.0 innings. Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) pitched 2.1 innings for the Colonels.

The Wilkes baseball team continues their season on Friday when they head down to Fort Pierce, Fla. to kick off their spring break trip against Houghton University at 3:00 p.m.