ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Wilkes University baseball team went 1-1 in a doubleheader against Elizabethtown College at Boyd Stadium Friday afternoon, taking game one 8-4 and falling in game two 4-2.

Wilkes finishes the day 14-8 overall (11-2 Landmark) while the Blue Jays finished 16-7 overall (8-5 Landmark).

Game One: Wilkes 8, Elizabethtown 4
Andres Cruz (Wayne, PA/Radnor) and the Colonel offense got things going early, as the sophomore drove home Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) and Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area) with an RBI single to give the Colonels the lead. In the next at-bat, Michael Sabella (Cornelius, NC/Hough) reached on a throwing error that then scored Cruz and Jeremiah Atwell (Eastlake, OH/Willoughby South) to double the Colonel advantage to 4-0.

The hosts equalized in the bottom of the third, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a double to left before Alex McClain tied the game on a two-run home run.

In the top of the sixth, Jake Miller (Chambersburg, PA/James Buchanan) gave the Colonels the lead back with a three-run blast to right center field, the first home run of his collegiate career. Gavin Lacoe (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) then added one more run in the seventh with an RBI single to seal the 8-4 victory, with help from two shutout innings of relief by  both Nikolas Schwartz (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) and Shaun O'Donnell (New Tripoli, PA/Northwestern Lehigh).

AJ Levandoski (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) (4-1) picked up the win on the mound, going five innings allowing four runs with five strikeouts. At the plate, five Colonels had multi-hit games, with Miller and Cruz batting in a combined five runs.

Joey Smith (0-4) was given the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits. McClain led the Blue Jays with two hits and two RBIs.
 
Game Two: Elizabethtown 4, Wilkes 2
Wilkes drew first blood in game two as well, with Cruz driving in his third run of the day overall on an RBI single through the left side. Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area) then added another in the third with a sacrifice fly to plate Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia), putting the Colonels ahead 2-0.

That lead held thanks to six complete scoreless innings from Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) on the mound before he was pulled in the seventh for Miller with a runner on first. Miller then walked three consecutive batters to put Elizabethown on the board before he was yanked for Liam Huffman (East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg South). Against his first two batters, Huffman gave up back-to-back singles that saw the Blue Jays plate three more runs to take a 4-2 lead.

Despite loading the bases in the top of the eighth, the Colonels were unable to complete the comeback and fell 4-2 in the day's second game.

Miller (3-1) was given the first pitching loss of his young career, while Cruz and Mathis led the Colonels at the plate with an RBI each. Six players registered a hit in the contest for the navy and gold.

Caeden Schulte (1-0) earned his first decision of the season with Cory Rible earning his third save. Starting pitcher Lucas Schieb went six innings allowing both runs with six strikeouts. At the plate, David Wooley led the team with three hits.

Both teams return to Boyd Stadium tomorrow to finish out the season series, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.