Stevens Gets MAC Freedom Win Over Wilkes Baseball

HOBOKEN, N.J. - The Wilkes University baseball team traveled to New Jersey where they would suffer a 6-3 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) defeat to Stevens Institute of Technology in Friday afternoon action.

The Colonels would drop to 13-18 on the year and 7-11 in conference play. The Ducks would earn their 20th win this season to go 20-9 overall and improve to 11-5 in MAC Freedom competition.

Stevens would jump out to an early lead as they would score a run in the bottom of the first to go up 1-0. They would add two more runs in the next inning to finish the second with a 3-0 lead over Wilkes.

After those two innings, Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) would only allow two hits in the next two innings to keep the Ducks stagnant for the Colonels to get on the board. This would pay off as Jake Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) would get Wilkes on the board as he would get a double to get on base, then make it home off a Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) single to right field to make it 3-1 for the Colonels in the top of the fifth.

Stevens would not get back into their groove in the bottom of the fifth inning as they would get three runs off a Evan Pravato homer to make it a 6-1 lead for the Ducks.

The game would be very slow with scoring as the Colonels would only get to second base twice in the next three innings while Stevens would only be at third for a scoring opportunity once.

The Colonels would make one last effort in the top of the ninth to get back in the game. After two grounded outs, Spezzaferra would single then advance to second on a pitcher error. Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) would bring Spezzaferra home with a double to to left field to make it 6-2. A Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) walk would have two runners on base. Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) would single to center field, bringing home Kolbicka and getting Kerdesky to second, but an attempt to make it to third base would not happen as the center fielder would throw it just in time to the shortstop, getting him out and finishing the game with a 6-3 win for Stevens.

Kolbicka and Spezzaferra would each go 2-for-4 at bat with a run and RBI for both men.  Show would go 2-for-5 at bat, earning an RBI in the game.

Tegan Shortlidge (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) (3-1) would take his first loss on the season as he pitched three innings, allowing eight hits and three runs on the day with a walk and strikeout as well. Lawall would also pitch three innings, giving three hits and three runs as well. Lawall would walk five batters and strike out two Stevens players on the day. Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) would conclude the pitching for the Colonels as he pitched the last two innings, only giving up a hit and a walk on the day.

Justin Doyle (5-3) is credited with the victory for Stevens as he pitched seven innings, only giving up one run off six hits while walking three batters and striking out four Colonels. Jacob Buurman would pitch in the eight inning as he only allowed one hit. Matt Villapino would finish the pitching for the Ducks as he gave up two runs on three hits while allowing a walk for Stevens.

Wilkes will return to Bruggeworth Field as they look to finish their MAC Freedom series with the Ducks in a doubleheader on Saturday with the first game beginning at 12:00 p.m.