FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Wilkes University baseball team produced 12 runs to take down Delaware Valley University in the team's final game of their spring break trip at the Lawnwood Baseball Complex.
 
The Colonels continued to roll in the early stages of their season, standing at 7-1 overall and coming away from the Sunshine State with a 4-1 record. Delaware Valley fell to 3-6 on the campaign.
 
Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) got the start on the mound and fanned three consecutive batters, stranding the leadoff batter at first base.
 
Shortstop Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) led off the bottom of the first for Wilkes and didn't disappoint, doubling on the eighth pitch of a lengthy at bat to put himself in scoring position. After reaching on a walk, Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) stole second base and moved to third on a ball hit by first baseman Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland). Mi. Show snatched his second bag of the game on the next at bat, crossing the plate to give the Colonels an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Aggies answered right back in the top of the second as the leadoff batter singled to left, advanced on a balk and rounded third base on another single through the left side. They overtook the lead on a double down the left field line to go up 2-1.
 
It didn't take long for Wilkes to put themselves back on top. In the bottom of the same inning, Right fielder Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) placed himself on first with a 2-0 single and moved 90 feet forward on a walk by Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack). Another walk by the designated hitter Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) loaded the bases before Brazofsky came around to score on a passed ball, knotting the contest at 2-2. Todd Kolbocka worked the third walk of the inning to juice the bases yet again, leading to another Colonel run when Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman) walked in Alessi from third. The Blue and Gold increased their lead to a pair of runs as Mi. Show reached on a walk, giving the home team a 4-2 lead. Wilkes' batters continued to stay selective, resulting in Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) taking the sixth walk of the inning to score Kolbicka from third. The four-run half inning put the Colonels back in possession of a 5-2 lead.
 
Lawall returned to the bump in the third and recorded three-straight outs on a pop fly  that was caught by Alessi behind the dish, flyout to Brazofsky and a groundout to Mi. Show at short.
 
After Markert connected with the second pitch of his at-bat to reach first, he touched home plate after three consecutive walks by Kolbicka, Ma. Show and Spencer. His brother Mi. Show moved all three runners forward on a ground ball to DelVal's second baseman, expanding the lead to 7-2.
 
Lawall continued to shut down the Aggies' offense, pitching a one-two-three fourth inning to preserve the five-run advantage.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Loch's hustle beat out a throw by the shortstop to put the leadoff batter on first base. He stole two bags on Brazofsky's second plate appearance of the day and came home on a groundout from the backstop Alessi to increase the lead to 8-2.
 
The Colonels' sophomore righthander continued to deal in the fifth and got some help by Kolbicka in left field, who made an astounding diving catch to put out the second batter of the inning before retiring the side on a groundout to Ma. Show at shortstop.
 
Senior pitcher Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) took over for Lawall in the sixth after a single to left cut the Aggies' deficit to five runs. The righty quickly dispatched the first two batters he faced on five pitches by way of a strikeout and pop fly to Loch at second to escape the inning without further damage.
 
Sanderson continued his dominant relief appearance in the seventh by recording a lineout to short, foulout to Vrabel at first and groundout. As the game entered the seventh inning stretch, Wilkes maintained an 8-3 lead.
 
Kolbicka led off the bottom of the inning with a four-pitch walk, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ma. Show. He came around to score on a towering stand-up triple by Spencer that nearly left the ballpark, building the lead back up to six runs. The advantage continued to swell as a sacrifice fly by Mi. Show allowed Spencer to tag up from third, putting the Colonels up by a score of 10-3.
 
Delaware Valley began to rally in the eighth, sending two runners home in a six at-bat top of the frame.
 
Once again, Wilkes clapped right back in what proved to be the team's final at-bats of the spring break trip. Loch was hit by a pitch to put the leadoff batter aboard the bases before moving across the diamond on a fielding error by the Aggie's second baseman. He completed his trip around the basepath on a sacrifice groundout by Markert to pad their lead, which now stood at 11-5. The twelfth run of the afternoon crossed home plate a batter later when Connor Morgan (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman) pinch hit for Kolbicka and reached on a fielding error.
 
DelVal was able to score one run in the top of the ninth, however a strikeout looking from Braydon Wuestner (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard) sealed the deal on the 12-6 victory and sent the Colonels back to Pennsylvania with their fourth win of the trip.
 
Lawall earned his second win of the season, putting him at 2-1 thus far. In relief, Sanderson tossed an inning and two-thirds on just eight pitches to finish with no runs allowed. Brazofsky put up a two-hit performance to split the team lead with Spencer, who also drove in three runs along with Mi. Show. Kolbicka worked three walks. Ma. Show assisted on five putouts in the Florida finale.
 
On DelVal's side, Ethan Saxe took the loss after giving up five runs in 1.1 innings of work. James Miskanic tallied a pair of hits including a double and picked up three RBIs. Reese Hackett safely crossed the plate three times.
 
The Colonels return home to Bruggeworth Field on Sunday, March 10 when they host Albright College for a doubleheader. First pitch against the Lions in the first game is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.