FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Wilkes University baseball team finished off their rain-postponed doubleheader against Penn State Behrend on Tuesday morning at the Lawnwood Baseball Complex, defeating the Lions 4-0 in seven innings to split the two-game series.
 
The Colonels advanced to 5-1 on the season and 2-1 on their spring break trip in the Sunshine State. Meanwhile, Penn State Behrend fell to an even 2-2 overall.
 
The game resumed play in the top of the second inning with the bases loaded and one out for Wilkes, who held a 3-0 lead. The Lions' pitcher was able to work his way out of the jam after catching a popped-up bunt attempt and tossing a strikeout, sending the game to the bottom half of the inning.
 
Colonels' pitcher Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) picked up right where he left off on Sunday, hurling back-to-back strikeouts and getting the third batter to pop-up to second baseman Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley).
 
The third inning started with a Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) single. On the next at-bat, the first baseman picked up two bags on another single by Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman). A passed ball scored Vrabel from third to increase the lead to four runs.
 
Lloyd continued to frustrate the Lions' bats with soft contact, as he got a pop fly to Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) at shortstop and a foul out to Alessi behind the dish before striking out the third batter of the inning.
 
He retired the side yet again in the fourth by way of a line out to Spencer at third, a strikeout swinging and a pop-up to Loch.
 
Penn State Behrend threatened in the bottom of the fifth after putting runners on the corners with two outs, however Lloyd got yet another Lion batter to pop-up to the second baseman to keep the score 4-0 in favor of the Colonels.
 
The first-year righthander tossed his fifth one-two-three inning in the sixth, getting all three hitters to strikeout swinging.
 
Designated hitter Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) worked a full count, one-out walk in the top of the seventh, however Wilkes was unable to add an insurance run in their last scheduled at-bats.
 
It turned out that four runs was more than enough for Lloyd, who returned to the mound for his seventh inning of action. A double down the left field line put a runner in scoring position with one out, however a groundout to the shortstop and flyout to Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) in center field secured the 4-0 shutout for Lloyd and the Colonels.
 
Lloyd (1-0) went the distance on the bump, pitching seven complete innings with 10 strikeouts while only allowing three hits to earn the shutout win. Alessi and Morgan accounted for both of Wilkes' RBIs as Loch was disciplined at the plate, taking two walks.
 
First baseman Daniel Boehme tallied two of the three Penn State Behrend base hits. Catcher Paul Connolly rounded out the offensive production with one hit.
 
Wilkes concludes their time in Fort Pierce on Thursday, March 7 when they take on Delaware Valley University at the Lawnwood Baseball Complex. First pitch against the Aggies is slated for 10:00 a.m.