WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Wilkes University baseball team used a 10-run second inning and a 15-strikeout complete game by Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary) in game one and a five-run fourth inning in game two to earn a doubleheader Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) sweep over cross-town rival King's College Sunday afternoon. Wilkes won game one 15-1 and game two 8-5 to sweep the full three-game set with the Monarchs.

Wilkes improved to 10-11 overall 4-5 in the MAC Freedom. King's fell to 7-12 overall and 1-8 in the league.

In game one the Colonels gained the lead in the top of the first as Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) worked a two-out walk and then scored on Mike Show's (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) RBI double to left field.

Wilkes broke the game open in the top of the second inning with 10 runs on eight hits. Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) started the inning by singling down the left field line. Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) then singled down the left field line as well. With one out both runners moved ahead on a wild pitch. As Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) walked on a fourth-ball wild pitch, Alessi crossed the plate to score. Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) then singled to shortstop to load the bases and Connor Morgan (Dallas, PA/Lake Lehman) singled to shortstop to bring home Vrabel to make it 3-0. Kerdesky then picked up an RBI with a walk that scored Spezzaferra. Show followed with a single through the left side for two RBI's as Kolbicka and Morgan scored. AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) continued the scoring with a double to center field that scored Kerdesky and Show to make it 8-0 and chase King's starting pitcher from the game. After a fly out, Vrabel singled to right center to bring in Brosious. Jake Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) then walked and Spezzaferra hit a two-run double to bring in both Vrabel and Cambria as Wilkes went ahead 11-0 as they sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning.

Meanwhile Murphy was keeping the Monarchs bats quiet. Wilkes added four runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning. Alessi doubled to lead off and moved to third on a groundout. Cambria walked then Spezzaferra drove in Alessi with a single through the left side. Kolbicka followed with a double down the left field line that scored both Cambria and Spezzaferra and forced a pitching change. Morgan then singled to move Kolbicka to third and Kerdesky drove in Kolbicka with an RBI-single to right field as the Colonels lead grew to 15-0.

King's was able to score its one run in the bottom of the sixth with a single, passed ball, groundout, and balk.

Murphy (2-1) was strong throughout as he scattered four hits and a walk in the complete game. His 15 strikeouts that tied his career high included striking out all three outs in the fourth and seventh innings. He allowed just one unearned run in the game.

Zach Day (1-4) took the loss for King's in game one. He went 1.1 innings allowing nine runs on seven hits with three walks. Brennan Schneider went 2.0 innings allowing six runs on five hits with three walks. Ricky Hynick then went 2.2 scoreless innings allowing just two hits with two strikeouts and Jeff Higgins pitched 1.0 innings scoreless without allowing a hit.

Kolbicka, Morgan, Show, Alessi, Vrabel, and Spezzaferra all had two hits in game one for Wilkes as Show and Spezzaferra had three RBI's each. The Colonels had five doubles in the game.

Wilkes scored first in game two in the top of the third inning. Spezzaferra doubled to left field and then scored on a Kolbicka single to center to make it 1-0.

King's took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the third as they scored two runs on a double three walks, a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout to lead 2-1 after three innings.

The Colonels answered right back in the top of the fourth as Kerdesky led off with a double. Show then reached on an error and Brosious singled to right field to load the bases. Vrabel then hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Kerdesky. Cambria followed with a two-run double to put the Colonels back ahead 4-2 as Show and Brosious scored. With two out Kolbicka singled to shortstop and Cambria came into score. After Kolbicka stole second and went to third on the throw he scored a Morgan's single through the left side to increase the lead to 6-2.

The Monarchs gained one run back in the bottom of the fourth as they plated one with a single, double and sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the fifth King's added an unearned run with a Colonels error followed by two singles to make it 6-4.

Cambria led off the top of the sixth with a double then went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Spezzaferra. Kolbicka walked, then Morgan hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Cambria. Following walks by Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) and Kerdesky to load the bases, Show picked up an RBI with a walk of his own to make it 8-4.

Jacob Sutton hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 8-5.

Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) and Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) combined to keep King's off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh to complete the sweep on the day and a three-game sweep in the conference series for the Colonels.

Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) started and went 2.1 innings allowing two runs on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) (1-4) earned the win in relief as he went 1.2 innings allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Griffin Coyne (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) also went 1.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout. Hoedl then got the last out of the sixth and the first two in the seventh to go 1.0 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Show entered and got a ground ball to end the game to earn his third save of the season.

Matt Masala (1-2) started for King's and took the loss as he went 3.2 innings allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout. Will Hronich pitched the final 3.1 innings allowing two runs on one hit with five walks and one strikeout.

Cambria was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI's, and two runs scored. Kolbicka also went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs and Brosious was 2-for-4. Morgan added two RBI's and again Wilkes had five doubles in the game.

The Colonels continue their MAC Freedom stretch with a single nine-inning game against Lycoming College on Tuesday at Bruggeworth Field with first pitch at 3:30 p.m.