SCRANTON – The Wilkes baseball team concluded its 2024 schedule with a 3-2 victory over Marywood University in a non-conference matchup on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Colonels finished the season with a 22-16 record while Marywood dropped to 21-14.
 
Wilkes shortstop Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) wasted no time getting the ball rolling in the top of the first, taking a pitch to right field for a leadoff double. He advanced all the way to third on a well-placed bunt by Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia), who also reached safely on the play. Up next was Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman), who drove a ball deep enough into left field to score Loch on a sacrifice fly and open up a 1-0 Wilkes lead.
 
Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) got the start on the mound for the Colonels in his thirteenth appearance of the season and delivered a swift 1-2-3 inning by way of a 6-4-3 double play and a flyout to Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) in center field.
 
The first-year righthander kept his hot start going by retiring the side for the second consecutive inning while picking up his first strikeout of the afternoon.
 
Lloyd returned to the bump in the third and worked another 1-2-3 inning. He helped his case by fielding a bunt and putting out the runner at first for the second out of the inning.
 
The Blue and Gold threatened to expand their lead in the top of the fourth when first baseman Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) reached base on a hit-by-pitch and advanced on a wild pitch, however a groundout to short and pop up to first got the Pacers off the field without any further damage done on the scoreboard.
 
Marywood started a rally of their own in the bottom of the fourth by putting a pair of runners on base with one out. Lloyd and Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) got the Colonel defense out of trouble with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play, catching the lead runner at third to end the inning.
 
Right fielder Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) ripped a one-out single up the middle in the top of the fifth, but was put out while attempting to steal second.
 
Lloyd continued to deal in the bottom of the fifth frame, fielding a ground ball to put out the leadoff batter before getting a pair of flyouts to Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) in left. His pitch count remained in tremendous shape after five innings, only standing at 55.
 
Spencer led off the sixth with a single to right before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mi. Show. The third basemen got 90 feet away from scoring on a flyout to center field, however another flyout stranded him at third.
 
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Colonels' righty was able to erase a leadoff walk by recording three straight outs to get his team off the field and keep the Pacers scoreless.
 
Loch Williams (Elkton, MD/Tome) got himself on base with a single to right field before Ryan Cosby (Buford, GA/Mountain View (GA)) took over the base running duties. Alessi moved Cosby into scoring position on a sac bunt before he came around to score on Loch's third hit of the ballgame; a line drive to right. As the game entered the seventh inning stretch, Wilkes took a 2-0 lead.
 
Marywood was able to put a run up on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning when a leadoff walk came around to score on a sac fly to left. Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell), who had entered midway through the inning, was able to get a strikeout to end the frame without further damage.
 
Spencer collected his second hit of the afternoon on a leadoff single to third. He moved across the diamond on two groundouts, then scored on a Brazofsky single to right to increase the lead to a pair of runs. Midway through the eighth inning, the Colonels possessed a 3-1 lead.
 
The Pacers answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when their leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and ultimately came around to score on an RBI groundout to short. Heading into the last inning, Wilkes held onto a thin 3-2 lead.
 
Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) entered the game in the bottom of the ninth looking to close out the game for the Blue and Gold. The sophomore righty did just that, getting all three Pacer batters to pop up or fly out and close out the 3-2 victory  for Wilkes.
 
Lloyd picked up his sixth win of the season after pitching 6.0 scoreless innings, moving to 6-1 overall. Lawall recorded his first collegiate save after his 1-2-3 performance in the bottom of the ninth. Loch went 3-5 at the plate with a double and RBI while Spencer drove in another Colonel run. Alessi and Mi. Show both moved runners forward with sac bunts.
 
Starting pitcher Nick Notari was assessed the loss, falling to 4-4 on the season. Adam Ginsberg led Marywood with two hits and crossed the plate once.  Joel Ayers and Tristen Gatchalain both contributed one RBI each.

Wilkes went 22-16 overall and was 11-13 in its first season in the Landmark Conference, placing sixth of nine teams. The Colonels will host a JV game on Saturday, May 4 and recognize its seniors with a Senior Day ceremony.