FORT PIERCE, FL – The Wilkes University baseball team earned a doubleheader split Saturday against Wheaton College (Ill.) as the Colonels continued play in their Spring Break Trip. Wilkes dropped game one 6-5 on a walk off home run before winning game two 11-7.

Wilkes now stands at 3-2 on the season while Wheaton is 2-3 overall.

The Thunder gained a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning in game two, scoring on a sacrifice fly.

The Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the third with six runs on one hit and three errors. Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) walked to start the inning and then Peyton Schuck (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) and AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) reached on errors while laying down sacrifice bunts. Melberger and Schuck scored on the error with Brosious up. Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) then reached on an error by the catcher and Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) walked. Brosious then scored from third on a wild pitch with one out. Kerdesky then scored when Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) reached on a dropped third strike play. Jake Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) walked with two outs and after a pitching change, Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) knocked a two-run double to score Vrabel and Cambria.

Wheaton pulled one run back in the fourth inning but the Colonels added five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 11-2. Kerdesky singled with one out to start the rally and then stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Markert then reached on a dropped third strike. Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) hit an RBI double to left center to plate Kerdesky and then Vrabel hit a two–run double to right center to score both Markert and Alessi scored. After a pitching change, Cambria tripled to center to bring in Vrabel and Spezzaferra hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Cambria for the 11th run.

The Thunder scored four runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to make it 11-6 and added a run in the top of the seventh on an RBI triple but Wilkes was able to keep the lead for the 11-7 victory.

Vrabel was 3-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs while Spezzaferra was 1-for-3 with three RBI's. Kerdesky went 2-for-3 with two runs.

Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary) (1-0) earned the win as he started and went the first four innings allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area), Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer), and Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) pitched the final three innings to preserve the win. Hoedl worked a perfect sixth inning with two strikeouts and Show struck out three batters while allowing one run in the seventh.

In game one the Colonels struck for two runs in the top of the first inning. Show doubled with one out and Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) walked. They both advanced on a wild pitch. With two outs Ryan Johnston (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) brought in Show with a RBI single to second. Luksic then scored on a wild pitch.

Wheaton answered with five runs on six hits in the bottom of the first, including a three-run home run by Matthias Haggerty, as the Thunder led 5-2 after one inning.

Wilkes cut the lead to 5-4 in the top of the third as Luksic was hit by a pitch and Kerdesky doubled. Alexis Velez (Caguas, PR/Notre Dame) walked to load the bases with two outs and Vrabel hit a two-run single to right field as Luksic and Kerdesky scored.

Wilkes was down to its final out in the top of the seventh when Brosious singled to center to bring in Kerdesky who walked and went to second on a passed ball to tie the game at 5-5.

Haggerty then hit a walk off homer for Wheaton in the bottom of the seventh as the Thunder won 6-5.

Vrabel was 2-for-4 with two RBI's in game one to lead the offense. Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) started and went the first five innings allowing five runs on eight hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) (0-2) pitched the final 1.2 innings.

Wilkes returns to the field tomorrow to face Penn State Behrend at 12:00 p.m.