WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes University baseball team came up short against the DeSales University Bulldogs 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Bruggeworth Field.
The Colonels drop to 23-15 with the loss, while the Bulldogs improve to 29-11 this season.
After a scoreless first inning, both teams got a run on the board in the second. Shane Anhalt and Alex Bersani were both hit by pitches to get runners on first and second. Anhalt advanced to third after a fielder's choice, and he came in to score when Bersani deliberately got caught in a rundown.
The Colonels used the same formula to score in the bottom half of the frame. Jack Smale (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley) was hit by a pitch, and then Gannon Decker (Hawley, PA/Wallenpaupack Area) singled to get two runners on base. A fielder's choice advanced Smale to third with two outs, and he scored thanks to a throwing error by the Bulldogs.
The 1-1 tie didn't last long as DeSales plated another three runs in the third inning. Back-to-back singles got runners on the corners with no outs, and Owen Fischl hit a two-RBI double to make it 3-1. The next batter, Jacob Rivera, hit an RBI single to score Fischl to make it a three-run game.
From there, the Colonel bats went cold. Wilkes managed just two hits for the next six innings, while DeSales scored another two runs to give them a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.
Down to their last out, the Colonels fought back for an interesting finish. Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) singled, advanced to second base, and then scored when Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) reached base on a Bulldog fielding error. Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) hit an RBI double immediately afterwards to bring in Markert and make it a 6-4 game with PJ Stonsby (Bedford, NY/Fox Lane) representing the tying run. However, Stonsby flew out to center field to end the game.
Will Haman got the win on the mound for DeSales, while Tyler Ansell (Knoxville, TN/South Doyle) took the loss for Wilkes. Haman pitched three shutout innings and allowed just two hits, and Ansell pitched 5.2 innings with six earned runs and seven hits allowed.
Fischl led the Bulldogs by going 2-4 at the plate with three RBIs, including a solo home run to right field in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, Decker was the only Colonel with multiple hits. He singled twice and reached base a third time on a hit by pitch.
The Colonels return to action tomorrow at 4 p.m. for a non-conference game against the King's College Monarchs.
