MADISON, NJ – The Wilkes University baseball team earned a split to begin its three-game set with host Drew University Saturday afternoon at Lonnstrom Stadium. The Colonels took game one 19-13 before falling 13-1 in six innings (due to darkness) in game two.
 
Wilkes moved its overall mark to 10-5 overall and 4-1 Landmark games. Drew saw its overall mark move to 7-9 standings 1-4 in conference contests.
 
Game one saw the Colonels race out to a 15-2 lead after six innings only to see the Rangers fight back to make things interesting with nine runs in the seventh. Wilkes added two more in the eighth and another two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to secure the 19-13 victory.
 
Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) scored the Colonels first run when he crossed the plate after Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Drew catcher. Later in the inning Gavin Lacoe (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded scoring Cambria to make it 2-0 Colonels. Evan Melberger's (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) fielder's choice RBI scored Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) and Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) followed that with a two-run single as Wilkes led 5-0 after two innings.
 
Luksic drilled a solo home runs to start the third and Melberger walked with the bases loaded to add another before Loch added his third RBI on another bases loaded walk by Drew. After one more bases loaded walk, Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman) hit an RBI single to push the lead to 10-0. Another bases loaded hit-by-pitch and Cambria sacrifice fly gave the Colonels a 12-0 lead after three.
 
Wilkes added one run in the fourth thanks to another Spencer RBI hit, while Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) doubled to left centerfield in the fifth scoring one more run as Wilks led 14-1. Loch's third RBI hit of the game, another RBI single plated Show to give the Colonels a 15-1 advantage.
 
Drew answered back with a big seventh inning scoring nine runs on six hits to cut the Wilkes lead to 15-11.
 
Wilkes responded and put the game out of reach with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to secure the road conference victory.  
 
Eight different Colonels posted a hit in the win. Loch led the way at the plate going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Spencer and Luksic followed with two hits each.
 
AJ Levandoski (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) pitched five innings allowing just two hits, not allowing an earned run to record the win for the Colonels. Colby Butczynski (Nanticoke, PA/Greater Nanticoke) pitched the final one and a third innings picking up the save not allowing a hit or run.
 
Spencer began game two with a solo home run in the top of the first to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead early. It marked the lone run in the game as Drew scored three in the bottom half of the frame and starter Brandon Kobryn went all six innings scattering three hits and the one run to earn the victory after the game was called due to darkness at the top of the sixth.
 
Drew used 12 hits over their five at-bats scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fifth on way to the victory.
 
Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) suffered the loss on the hill for Wilkes going 3.1 innings allowing six hits and five runs (four earned).
 
The two teams will complete the season series tomorrow (Sunday) with a single nine-inning game starting at 12:00 p.m.