Wilkes Baseball Drops MAC Freedom Contest to Delaware Valley
DOYLESTOWN, PA – The Wilkes University baseball team began their series with Delaware Valley University on the road where they would drop their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) single game to the Aggies 8-3 in Friday afternoon action at Frank Wolfgang Field.
The Colonels would fall to 12-15 overall and 6-9 in the conference. The Aggies would improve to 8-14 this year and go 3-9 in the MAC Freedom.
Wilkes would get out ahead in the game as they scored in the top of the second. Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) would hit a double to right field then score off a Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) single up the middle to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead. Wilkes would have two hits in that stretch. Delaware Valley would respond at the bottom of the inning as they would score three runs on two hits to go into the third inning with a 3-1 lead.
Wilkes would get another score in the third inning to cut the Aggies' lead. After a ground out by third base and being struck out swinging gave the Colonels two outs, Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) would get on base as he singled to right field. He would advance to second as Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) got to first base off an error by the shortstop. AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) would single to left field, bringing Kerdesky home and getting Wilkes within one of Delaware Valley. Wilkes would have two hits and an error with their run in the inning.
The Aggies would start to get momentum in their game as they would score two runs on three hits and an error to push their lead up 5-2 over Wilkes at the bottom of the third.
Delaware Valley would add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth as they had two runs off a single to left center field to finish the inning with two hits and an error.
Wilkes would try and cut the lead once more as they would add another run in the top of the fifth. Kerdesky would get to first base off a bunt, then advance to second on a Show single to left field. Kerdesky would get to third off a Brosious fly out to center field, eventually running to home plate off a Luksic off a single to the middle to make the game 9-3. The Colonels would have three hits in that inning.
Delaware Valley would finish strong in the game as they scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to push their lead to 8-3. The Aggies would continue their trend in the eight inning, scoring five runs on three hits to make their lead 13-3 heading into the top of the ninth inning. After Ruben Ortiz Montemayor (Veraguas, Panama/Iclave) would reach first on an error, Connor Esbenshade would strike out the last three Colonels to conclude the 13-3 win for Delaware Valley.
Griffin Coyne (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) (0-3) would get the start for Wilkes and took the loss as he went two and a half innings as he allowed five earned runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) would come in and pitch 4.1 innings for the Colonels as he allowed seven runs (three earned) on nine hits while having four walks and four strikeouts on the mound. Braydon Wuestner (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard) would finish the game for Wilkes as he pitched one inning, allowing one run on one hit while walking two batters.
Dalton Moore (4-3) would get the win for Delaware Valley as he pitched five innings, allowing three runs, with two earned, on nine hits while striking out three batters. Colin Foley would come in and pitch the next three innings, only giving up two hits on the day. Esbenshade would complete the pitching for the Aggies as he had no hits or runs while striking out three Colonels to conclude the game.
Kerdesky went 3-for-4 on the day with two runs. Luksic would go 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI on the day. Vrable would be 2-for-3 at bat with an RBI, and Brosious would also earn himself an RBI on the day.
Wilkes will conclude their series with Delaware Valley tomorrow as they welcome the Aggies to Bruggeworth Field on Saturday in a MAC Freedom doubleheader, with the first game beginning at 12:00 p.m.
