WILKES BARRE, Pa. - The Wilson College baseball team traveled to take on the Colonels of Wilkes University in a non-conference doubleheader earlier this afternoon. The Phoenix (16-7, 4-2 CSAC) split their series with the Colonels (14-9, 2-7 MAC), taking the first game 12-0, but dropping the second game 12-11.
Game One: First man up to bat, fifth-year senior
KJ Curry (Bowie, MD., Coker University) got things going straight away with a double to left field. After a sacrifice bunt from senior
Brandon Cook (Glen Burnie, MD., Shepherd University) put
Curry at third, senior
Gerald Buchanan (Olney, MD, Montgomery CC (MD)) drove him in on a single through the left side to put Wilson up 1-0 in the early going. Sophomore
Shane Bowie (Frederick, MD, Thomas Johnson HS) started on the mound for the Phoenix, making quick work of the bottom of the first. Later on, in the bottom of the third, the Phoenix drove in two more runs. After a triple from
Cook, junior
Dean Mercer (Dunedin, FL., Clearwater Central Catholic) drove him in on an RBI double. Shortly after, sophomore
Brady Andre (Brookeville, MD, Sherwood HS) slapped in another run off a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing the score to 3-0 headed. Wilson knocked in two more runs in the top of the fourth, both off sacrifice flies from
Cook and
Buchanan, extending their lead to 5-0. The Phoenix added seven more runs in the top of the sixth, as they went on to take game one by a score of 12-0.
Inside the Box Score: Wilson lit up the scoreboard with 12 runs on 11 hits with one error, while allowing zero runs on three hits.
Cook,
Buchanan, and
Andre all added two RBIs.
Cook went 2-3 with a triple, a sacrifice fly, and a sacrifice bunt,
Buchanan went 2-2 with a walk, a run, and a sac fly, and
Andre went 1-2 with a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Four others also went on to add RBIs.
Curry added three hits on four at-bats with a walk, two doubles, and a stolen base.
Bowie threw for four innings on his way to his second win of the season, allowing two hits and no runs. Fifth-year
Jacob Whittington (Salisbury, MD., Univ. of the Sciences) and sophomore
Ben Tunnell (St. Petersburg, FL, Lakewood HS) came in for relief, striking out a combined four batters.
Game Two: After a pedestrian top of the first from the Phoenix, Wilkes stuck first, adding three runs in the bottom half of the inning. In the top of the second, a double from freshman
Doc Daniels (Deal Island, MD, Crisfield HS) scored two and cut the deficit to 3-2. In the top of the third, after the Colonels extended their lead to 5-2, Wilson added seven runs on three hits that flipped the score and put the Phoenix on top 9-5. After Wilkes added another run in the bottom of inning number three, Wilson added two more runs off a home run from sophomore
Haden Hoff (Westminster, MD, Fairmont State Univ.), extending the lead to 11-6. Both teams battled for the next two innings before the Colonels added two more runs in the bottom of the six that cut the lead to just three runs. Wilkes went on to win the game, adding four runs in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Colonels a 12-11 win.
Inside the Box Score: Daniels helped pace the offense, going 2-3 with four RBIs two doubles, and a run.
Hoff went 1-2 with three runs, two walks, and a home run, while
Curry added two hits, one RBI, one run, one walk, and a stolen base. Six different pitchers saw action in the second game, as the bullpen threw for a combined eight strikeouts. The Phoenix added 11 runs off seven hits with no errors, while their opponent scored 12 runs on 15 hits with two errors.
Up Next: Wilson will host a CSAC doubleheader against the Patriots of the University of Valley Forge (5-13, 2-2 CSAC) on Saturday, April 9, beginning at noon.
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