PHILADELPHIA – The Arcadia University baseball team took both ends of a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader from visiting Albright College Saturday afternoon at Erny Field, earning a 6-3 win in the opener before holding on for an 11-8 win in the nightcap.
FOR THE RECORD: The Knights improved to 18-7 overall and 8-3 in MAC Commonwealth play while extending their winning streak to four games. The Lions fell to 6-16 overall and 2-9 in conference play while seeing their losing streak extended to 11 games. Arcadia will go for a sweep of the season series when the two teams meet again tomorrow at Albright.
GAME ONE: ARCADIA 6, ALBRIGHT 3
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI singles from Tanner Brescancine and Micah Storms, and the Knights answered in the bottom of the second on back-to-back RBI-doubles off the bats of freshman
Phil Pierfy and sophomore
Nick Ponente. Arcadia took the lead for good in the bottom of the third, scoring runs on singles from sophomore
Luke Hohenstein and senior
Justin Chasmar.
The Knights lead grew to 6-2 with a two-run sixth, which saw sophomore
Sean Carew drive a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence and an RBI-single from classmate
Bryan Gillen. Albright put together a scoring threat in the top of the seventh, but managed just a single run on Nathan Frenz's double to right center for the 6-3 final.
ON THE HILL: Junior
Jake Lloyd improved to 3-0 after giving up two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts over his five innings of work, while senior
Chris Keesser picked up his program-record seventh save of the year after getting the final out of the seventh to secure the win. Junior
Connor Laigaie allowed one run on four hits with three Ks in his 1.2 innings of work. Matt Fisher (0-4) took the loss after giving up five runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings.
ARCADIA AT BAT: Ponente was 2 for 2 with a walk, a double and RBI and a run scored, while Chasmar and Pierfy both finished the game 2 for 3 with a double, and RBI and a run scored. Gillen went 2 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored from the leadoff spot.
ALBRIGHT AT BAT: Brescancine went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Storms also had a 2 for 3 day with one RBI. Frenz was 1 for 4 with a double and a run driven in, while Jeff Yordy went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored.
GAME TWO: ARCADIA 11, ALBRIGHT 8
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Knights scored in all but one inning in the second half of today's twin bill, taking a 4-0 lead after first inning. Senior
Jordan Draude drove in Gillen with a triple to the gap in right-center before scoring on a wild pitch, and Ponente drove in a pair of runs with a two-out, bases-loaded double to center. The Lions got right back in the game with two runs in the top of the second, only to see Arcadia plat three runs in the bottom half of the frame to go up 7-2.
The Knights lead was 11-3 going to the top of the seventh, where Albright nearly pulled off what would have been an epic comeback. The Lions scored five times in the frame with two outs before sophomore Zack Manasek struck out Logan Adams to end the game, stranding runners on first and second in the process.
ON THE HILL: Freshman
Jeremy Sabathne improved to 1-1 after allowing one run on three hits while registering four strikeouts in his 2.1 innings of relief work. Shaun O'Reilly (0-2) took the loss after giving up six runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with three wild pitches in one-plus inning of work.
ARCADIA AT BAT: Junior
Nick Cardace went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while Hohenstein was 2 for 3 with a double, three runs scored and another driven in. Gillen went 2 for 4 and crossed the plate three times, while Chasmar went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Ponente drove in three runs and was 1 for 3 in the game.
ALBRIGHT AT BAT: Brandon Daubert went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while Logan Pennypacker was 1 for 3 with two RBI. Kyle Ganert was 1 for 1 with a walk and two runs scored.
