EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University baseball team fell 6-0 and 7-4 to the DeSales University Bulldogs in their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) opening doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Bruggeworth Field.
 
The Colonels move to 5-6 on the season and 0-2 in the conference. The Bulldogs move to 4-6 overall and 2-0 in MAC Freedom play.
 
Wilkes was able to get two hits in the first game. The first hit came from Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) who singled down the right field line and was able to advance to second base after Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) walked. The second hit of the game came from Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) who singled up the middle. Spezzaferra was able to advance to second after a bunt from Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights).
 
DeSales had only a 1-0 lead over the Colonels heading into the seventh inning, but were able to secure their win earning five runs in the top of the seventh.
 
Vrabel and Spezzaferra each had one hit in the first game for Wilkes. Graduate student Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) pitched all seven innings for the Colonels and recorded four strikeouts on 34 batters faced. Vrabel had seven putouts for Wilkes followed by Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) and Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) each with three.
 
The Bulldogs had eight hits in the first game and six runs. DeSales pitcher Michael Hooker recorded a win and Will Manley earned a save.
 
In the second game, the Colonels were able to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning 2-1. The two runs came after Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) hit a homerun to left field, batting in Kerdesky to score for Wilkes as well.
 
The Bulldogs took the lead in the top of the fifth after scoring two runs to lead Wilkes 3-2 going into the sixth inning.
 
The Colonels were able to score twice more in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) hit a single to right field which advanced Vrabel to second base and Alessi home to score. The last run of the game for Wilkes was in the bottom of the seventh inning after Luksic reached on a fielding error and Spezzaferra made it home.
 
Wilkes had five hits in the second game with Luksic, Kerdesky, Alessi, Brazofsky, and Spezzaferra each with one. Alessi had two runs and two RBI in the game followed by Kerdesky with one run and an RBI and Spezzaferra with one run.
 
DeSales had six hits in the second game and seven runs, as well as seven RBI.
 
Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary) pitched 5.0 innings for the Colonels earning eight strikeouts on 20 batters faced. Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) pitched 1.2 innings earning three strikeouts on nine batters faced, and Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) pitched 0.1 innings.
 
Bulldogs' pitcher Alex Chase pitched 5.0 innings recording three strikeouts and the win, and Mike Romano pitched 2.0 innings earning one strikeout and a save.
 
The Wilkes baseball team returns to action on Tuesday when they host Stevenson University for a 3:30 non-conference game.