Seven-Run Third Inning Leads Wilkes Baseball to Landmark Series Sweep Over Lycoming
WILLIAMSPORT – The Wilkes baseball team hung a seven-spot in the third inning on Wednesday afternoon and went on to defeat Lycoming College 13-7 in the final game of their Landmark conference series to sweep the Warriors at the newly-opened Brandon Park Baseball Field.
The win gave the Colonels the series sweep and pushed their overall record to 21-12. They improved to 11-9 in conference contests.
With the loss, Lycoming fell to 8-26 on the season and 2-16 in Landmark play.
Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) got the scoring started in dramatic fashion in the top of the first, crushing a ball over the center field fence to knock in
Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) and
Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights). After the top half of the first frame, Wilkes led 3-0.
Wilton Abreu (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Liceo Americo Pérez Tolentino) got the start in his tenth appearance of the season and tossed a 1-2-3 first to get the Colonels right back to the plate.
Moving on to the top of the third,
Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman) ripped a ball through the left side of the infield before Vrabel was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on for Mi. Show. The junior centerfielder connected on a 1-0 pitch that carried over the left field wall for the second Colonel home run of the ballgame to make it 6-0. Luksic and
Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) both reached safely and advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, putting two runners in scoring position for
Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area). The designated hitter drove a ball into center field to score Luksic and move Brazofsky to third. The Colonels' right fielder came around to score when
Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) singled to center, moving
Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) to third and
Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) to second. Later in the inning, Spencer pushed a ball into right center to bring home Ma. Show and Cambria, building the lead up to 10-0.
Lycoming got on the board in the bottom of the third with a bases-clearing double to cut the deficit to 10-3.
The Warriors would tack on two more runs in the fourth, moving the score to 10-6.
Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell), who had entered the game in relief of Abreu midway through the fourth, retired the side in order in his first full inning of work.
After a leadoff walk by Luksic to start the sixth inning, a sacrifice bunt by Brazofsky moved the Colonel catcher into scoring position. A single to left by Markert put runners on the corners for Cambria. The left fielder laid down a tremendous bunt that took a favorable bounce and rolled away from a charging Lycoming fielder, causing him to rush the throw and sail the ball past the first baseman which allowed Luksic to score from third. On the next at-bat, Ma. Show singled up the middle to drive in Markert and bring the lead back up to six runs. Next up was Loch, who reached on a fielder's choice while Cambria scored on a close play at the plate. After five and a half innings, Wilkes controlled a sizable 13-6 lead.
Sanderson returned to the bump and tossed a scoreless sixth inning. In the seventh, the right-hander helped his own cause by snagging a screaming line drive that came right back at him for the second out. A single to right center scored one run to make the score 13-7.
The senior continued to deal on the mound for Wilkes in the final two innings, allowing no runs on just two hits to wrap up the sweep of Lycoming by a final score of 13-7.
Sanderson picked up the win and moved to 4-1 on the season thanks to his 6.0 innings of pitching in which he only allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Luksic and Mi. Show led the way with a pair of three-run shots early in the game to finish with three RBIs apiece. Spencer drove in two runs and stole a base, along with Loch, Mi. Show, Brazofsky and Ma. Show.
Jack Schilling was charged with the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season after allowing nine runs on six hits through 2.1 innings. Eric MacCluen hit a double for the Warriors and finished with three RBIs while Jack Kelly followed with two.
The Colonels are back in action on Saturday, April 27 when they travel to Susquehanna University for a three-game conference series with the River Hawks. First pitch in game one of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 12:00 p.m.
