HOBOKEN, NJ – The fifth seeded Wilkes University baseball team led 3-0 and 5-4 but were unable to hold on as fourth seeded Stevens Institute of Technology edged the Colonels 6-5 on Thursday evening in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) Play-In game at Dobbelaar Field.

Wilkes ends the 2023 season and final season in the MAC Freedom with a 17-24 overall record. Stevens improved to 27-14 overall and advanced to face No. 1 seed Arcadia University in a MAC Freedom Semifinal series on Saturday and Sunday.

The Colonels jumped ahead in the top of the first inning. Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) walked as the leadoff batter. He advanced to second with one out as Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) singled to third base. Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) followed with a ground-rule double to left center as Kolbicka scored and Luksic was stopped at third. Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) then singled up the middle to bring Luksic across the plate and move Show to third. Show then crossed the plate for a 3-0 lead as Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) hit a sacrifice fly to left field.

Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) drew the start on the mound for the Colonels and he retired the Ducks in order in the bottom of the first with two fly outs and a groundout.

Wilkes had back-to-back one-out singles in the second inning from Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) and Kolbicka but the two runners were stranded. Stevens got its first baserunner of the game in the second inning on a one-out walk but two strikeouts by Molitoris and a groundout in the inning stranded the runner at first.

Again in the top of the third Wilkes was able to hit back-to-back singles with one-out, this time by Alessi and Vrabel. A lineout turned into a double play ended the Colonels threat though. Following a groundout to start the bottom of the third, the Ducks recorded consecutive singles for their first hits of the game. Following a fly out, Michael Reyes hit a three-run home run to right center to tie the game at 3-3. Molitoris got a groundout of the next batter to send the game to the fourth tied.

A single by Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack) followed by a sacrifice bunt by Melberger and a walk to Kolbicka on a wild pitch that moved Spezzaferra to third ended the day for the Ducks starting pitcher Justin Doyle after 3.1 innings. Erik Sibbach came on in relief and hit Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) with a pitch to load the bases. Sibbach then induced a double play grounder to get out the bases loaded jam with the game still tied 3-3.

Stevens collected two singles in the bottom of the fourth but Molitoris was able to get a pop out and a strikeout, his second of the inning, to strand two runners. The Colonels had three runners reach base in the fifth on a single, walk, and fielder's choice but left runners at first and second. The Ducks gained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as the leadoff man reached on a hit by pitch and then scored on a single to right and an error by the right fielder to make it 4-3. A fly out, groundout, and pop out followed as Molitoris only allowed the one unearned run in the inning.

In the sixth Wilkes loaded the bases with a single by Melberger, a Kolbicka hit by pitch, and a walk to Luksic. But Anthony Pron replaced Sibbach on the mound and got out of the jam with two strikeouts. The Ducks went scoreless in the bottom of the inning with one single. The Colonels went down in order in the seventh and Stevens had a leadoff single before Molitoris retired the next three batters in a scoreless half inning.

Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) pinch hit in the top of the eighth inning with one out. The first-year transfer player nailed his first career home run to tie the game at 4-4. Kerdesky followed with a single to right. Show then singled to left with two outs. Alessi came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to right center that scored Kerdesky from second and gave the Colonels the 5-4 lead.

Show moved from right field to the mound replacing Molitoris to start the bottom of the eighth. After one out Stevens used a single, walk, and groundout to second to put runners at second and third. A wild pitch allowed the tying run to score and then Frank Tonina hit the go-ahead double to right center to put the Ducks in front 6-5.

Pron was able to strike out the side in the top of the ninth to nail down the victory and advance Stevens to the MAC Freedom Semifinals with a 6-5 win.

Molitoris, the graduate student, pitched seven quality innings in the no-decision. He allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Show (2-3) pitched one inning allowing two runs on two hits and one walk.

Doyle went the first 3.1 innings allowing three runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts for Stevens in a no decision. Sibbach threw the next 2.0 innings allowing two hits and two walks but no runs. Pron (3-1) earned the win as he pitched the final 3.2 innings allowing two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts.

Wilkes recorded 14 total hits but left 13 runners on base. Alessi was 3-for-4 with two RBI's and a walk. Show was 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run. Melberger went 2-for-4. Markert was 1-for-1 with his home run and Kolbicka was 1-for-1 with two walks and one run. Kerdesky, Luksic, Vrabel, and Spezzaferra were 1-for-4.

Stevens had 10 hits and left six runners on base. Tonina and Evan Pravato were 2-for-4 in the game.

The game marked the final on-field competition for Wilkes athletics in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Colonels will shift to the Landmark Conference for the 2023-24 season.