Box Score
CHESTER, Pa. – Despite trailing for most of the afternoon, the Lions managed to rally in the top of the eighth to take their first and only lead of the game. Unfortunately that lead was short lived as Widener University put-up five runs, in the bottom half of that same inning to pull out a 10-6 Commonwealth Conference win Sunday afternoon at Widener University Baseball Field.
The five-runs scored in the eighth by the Pride were all unearned and were the result of an error that opened the flood gates. Before, Widener was able to put together a rally of their own, the Pride's backs were up against the wall as the red and white used key hits and took advantage of two errors to jump out to a 6-5 lead.
Justin Danser proved to be on the driving factors behind the Lions late game rally as the senior third baseman went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Jojo Fischer also helped out the red and white in Sunday's conference game with his two runs scored. Fisher was also solid at the plate as he went 3-for-5 with double in the top half of the ninth.
Freshman
Collin Hecker and senior
Pat Brady both went 2-for-4, and combined for three RBI and two runs scored respectively. Albright combined for 13 hits on Sunday, while the host Pride managed to make contact 14 times.
Widener broke the scoreless draw with a two-run bottom of the second. Albright then made it a one-run game in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Hecker, which scored Fischer. The Pride then put up another run in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.
Looking as if they were going to pull out the conference win, the Pride continued to go with pitcher Rick Kazigan, who before the eighth was solid. On the day Kazigan retired seven batters and surrendered five runs on nine hits.
The win would eventually go to Salvatore Spera who closed out the final 1 2/3 innings after reliever Joe Sessa failed to produce on the hill for the Pride. Sessa looked to stop the bleeding in the eighth, but instead gave-up what was at the time the go-ahead run on two hits.
Once Spera stepped in the Pride were able to rally around their pitcher and score the five-runs in the bottom of the eighth to earn the victory, his third of the year. Albright threw a combined five pitchers on Sunday, with sophomore Kevin O'Neil getting the start. O'Neill went four complete and allowed three runs on seven hits.
After him it was
Tyler Meckley, who only went 1 1/3 and gave-up two runs on three hits. A quick showing by
Seth Heffner would set-up the first appearance of
Tyler Storms after his dominating performance against Delaware Valley College.
Unfortunately, Storms would not be able to repeat his solid performance as the Pride scored all five runs on the junior lefty with two outs on the scoreboard. Storms, who was charged with the error did not give-up an earned run in his two innings of work.
Doug Mace got the final out for the red and white.
A Fischer lead-off single got the Lions ninth and final inning off to a great start. Unfortunately that would be the only positive of the final inning as the Pride clawed their way to the final three outs and the series sweep.
Baseball returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Misericordia for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game.
