HUNTINGDON, Pa – Wilkes baseball improved to 20-11 overall and 15-3 in conference action following a Saturday doubleheader sweep of the Eagles at the Langdon Goodale field this Saturday afternoon. The Eagles fell to an overall record of 9-22 and 3-16 in conference action. 

Game 1: Wilkes 8, Juniata 7

Juniata struck first in the opening frame of the doubleheader, using an RBI sacrifice fly to right field to take an early lead. Wilkes looked to respond in the second, as Jake Miller (Chambersburg, PA/James Buchanan) worked his way into scoring position with a pair of stolen bases, but the Colonels were unable to bring him home.

Wilkes evened the score in the third when Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) doubled to right field and advanced to third on a balk before Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate the tying run. AJ Levandoski (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) kept Juniata in check in the bottom half, retiring the side while allowing just one hit.

Miller ignited the offense again in the fourth, doubling to right-center before swiping his third base of the game. Tyler Uram (Carbondale Twp, PA/Lakeland) followed with an RBI double to give Wilkes a 2-1 advantage. Levandoski continued to deal, turning in another 1-2-3 inning to maintain the lead.

Juniata capitalized on a Wilkes error in the fifth to tie the game at two on another sacrifice fly, but the Colonels answered immediately. Uram delivered his second RBI of the game to score Jeremiah Atwell (Eastlake, OH/Willoughby South), and Wilkes added three more runs in the sixth to build a 5-2 cushion.

The Eagles fought back with a two-run home run to pull within one, but the Colonels held firm to carry a 5-4 lead into the seventh. After a scoreless frame, Wilkes added insurance in the eighth behind an RBI home run from Miller and an RBI single from Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area).

Juniata mounted a late rally in the ninth, capitalizing on a Wilkes error to plate two runs and force extra innings. In the 10th, Michael Sabella (Cornelius, NC/Hough) led off with a single, and Melberger came through with an RBI single to score the go-ahead run and lift Wilkes to an 8-7 victory in game one.

Shaun O'Donnell (New Tripoli, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) earned the win in relief, improving to 2-1 after tossing a scoreless final inning. Miller paced the offense with a 3-for-3 performance, finishing just shy of the cycle, while Uram and Melberger each drove in two runs.

Ben Ryan was charged with the loss for Juniata, allowing one run on one hit in the final inning. Connor Blough, Jackson Cunnane, and Matthew Koehler each recorded two hits for the Eagles, with Cunnane adding two RBIs.

Game 2: Wilkes 16, Juniata 7

The Colonels wasted no time getting on the board, as Andres Cruz (Wayne, PA/Radnor) delivered an RBI single to right field in the first inning to score Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area). Wilkes continued its offensive surge in the second, erupting for five runs on five hits to take early control of the game.

Tyler Uram (Carbondale Twp, PA/Lakeland) sparked the inning with an RBI single to center, bringing home Jeremiah Atwell (Eastlake, OH/Willoughby South), before Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) followed with a two-RBI single to left-center to score Uram. Cruz capped off the rally with a two-RBI double to right field, giving the Colonels a commanding 6-0 lead through two innings.

Juniata responded by chipping away at the deficit, plating three runs on six hits over the next inning and a half. However, Wilkes answered in the fourth, pushing across four runs on three hits to extend its advantage.

Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area), Jack Smale (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley), and Cruz each recorded hits in the inning, while Jack Smale (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley), Mathis, and Cruz drove in runs to stretch the lead to 10-3.

The Eagles added two runs in the fifth, but the Colonels' offense remained relentless. In the sixth, Wilkes tacked on three more runs, highlighted by Cruz's two-run home run, his fourth hit of the game, which scored Smale and Mathis. Uram added an RBI single later in the inning to plate Atwell.

Wilkes continued to pour it on with three additional runs in the eighth before closing out a 16–7 victory to secure game two of the doubleheader.

Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) improved to 5-0 on the season, pitching five innings while allowing five runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts. Cruz led the offensive effort with a perfect 4-for-4 performance and six RBIs, while Melberger added three hits.

Connor Blough took the loss for Juniata (2-5), surrendering six runs on seven hits over 1.2 innings. Jace Irvin, Matthew Koehler, Ethan Pfeffer, and David Beard each recorded two hits for the Eagles, with Pfeffer driving in a team-high two runs.

Wilkes baseball returns to the Langdon Goodale field on Sunday, April 19, as they face Juniata for the last game of the three-game series with first pitch set for 12:00 p.m.