CHESTER, Pa. – Behind a complete game win from sophomore Shaun O'Reilly in game one, the Albright Lions baseball team earned a doubleheader split against Widener on Saturday afternoon in MAC Commonwealth play.
 
The Lions took game one by a score of 4-1 before being shutout 5-0 in the second game. With the split, the Lions record moves to 11-16 overall with a 5-13 record in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Pride record now stands at 16-16 overall and 9-9 in conference play.
 
Albright started the game with an uneven first inning as they had two batters reach but were unable to score any runs. Sophomore Logan Adams led off the game with a single, but was caught stealing during the next at-bat. Junior Jeff Yordy then reached on an error and stole second before the Pride retired the next batter. Junior Joe Suppa then led off the second inning with a double, but the next three Lions were retired in order. The Lions finally then got on the board in the top of the third after a throwing error following a stolen base. Sophomore Jimmy Gentry started the threat with a two-out single and then stole second. Adams moved Gentry over on a single before he came around to score on a throwing error during a stolen base attempt to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. Widener quickly came back in the bottom of the third to tie the game at one that started with a leadoff double. The Pride then used small ball to push the run across with a sacrifice bunt to push the lead runner over to third, and a squeeze play in the next at-bat to bring the run home. O'Reilly was then able to escape a two-out jam with runners on first and third. Each team traded scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth as each team left a runner on base once during that span. The Lions would use two-out magic again in the top of the sixth to drive the eventual winning run home on a fielding error. Sophomore Logan Pennypacker hit a two-out single and then stole second base. Pennypacker then scored in the next-at bat following a fielding error by the Pride third baseman. O'Reilly escaped one more jam in the bottom of the sixth as he stranded a runner on third base with two outs which set up the Lions to get a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
 
Junior Kyle Gantert led off the seventh with a single and then stole second base. A walk put two runners on and both would advance on a sacrifice bunt. Gantert was then thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, but senior Noah Beebe would come through with two outs as he hit an RBI single to make it 3-1.  Suppa then roped a RBI double to finish off the scoring at 4-1. O'Reilly completed his gem by retiring the Pride in order in the seventh to grab his third win of the season. Gentry and Suppa each tallied two hits as Suppa also picked up an RBI. The Lions stole five bases in the win and scored all four runs with two outs. O'Reilly allowed one earned run on four hits in the full seven innings, while striking out three. Pride pitcher Josh Lafferty suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in six innings, while striking out four.
 
Game two was not as kind to the Lions as they managed just three hits in the contest. The Pride started out fast with a double and single to lead off the game, and would score two runs in the inning that came on sacrifice flies. The Lions threatened in the second as they put runners on first and third with two outs, but were unable to push a run across. Following a scoreless frame from each team, the Pride added to its lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run single to make it 4-0. Widener would get its final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run with one out. Widener retired nine straight Lions into the top of the seventh with two outs before the Lions put two runners on thanks to a walk and a double. A fly out in the next at-bat would end the game.
 
Junior Jesse Fikslin tallied two of the three Lions hits in the loss as he went 2-of-3 from the plate. Sophomore pitcher Matt Fisher was saddled with the loss after allowing five earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings, while striking out three. Sophomore Will Tokarski relieved Fisher and allowed one on hit in the final 2.2 innings, while striking out four. Pride starter Dylan Peiffer earned the complete game shutout by allowing three hits and striking out four.
 
The Lions will return to action on Wednesday, April 25^th when they will travel to face Susquehanna in non-conference play at 4 p.m.