READING, Pa. – The Albright baseball team was swept in a doubleheader against Alvernia on Friday afternoon in MAC Commonwealth play. The Lions dropped game one 23-3 before falling in game two by a score of 20-7.
 
With the losses, the Lions drop to 2-14 overall and 2-12 in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Golden Wolves improved to 15-10-1 overall and 10-7-1 in conference play.
 
GAME ONE
After the Lions were retired in the top of the first, Alvernia put runners on first and second base with no outs. Albright senior starting pitcher Shaun O'Reilly battled back and struck out the next two batters before stranding the bases loaded with a fly out two batters later. The Lions loaded the bases in the top of the second with two outs, and sophomore second baseman Reece Adam came through with a two-run single to centerfield to put the Lions up 2-0. However, the Golden Wolves came storming back in the bottom of the second with seven runs off four hits and two errors to take a 7-2 lead. Alvernia scored four of its runs with two outs in the inning. Albright looked to cut into the lead in the top of the third as a single from junior first baseman Josh Jacavage, and a ground rule double from senior outfielder Brandon Daubert put runners at second and third with two outs. Unfortunately for the Lions, a strikeout in the next at-bat ended the threat. The Golden Wolves continued to add to their lead in the bottom of the third inning as they scored five runs on five hits to go up 12-2, four of which came before a batter recorded an out. Junior left fielder Will Algard led off the top of the fourth with a home run to left field to make it as 12-3 game. Albright put runners on first and second with two outs before a fielder's choice ended the inning. The Golden Wolves capped off their game one win with an 11-run bottom of the fourth inning to go up 23-3. Once again, Alvernia had its success with two outs as they scored all 11 runs in the inning in the situation. The Lions put runners on first and second base with no outs in the top of the fifth before a double play from a lineout, and a ground out ended the threat. First-year pitcher Eddie Cruz battled his way out of a bases loaded one out situation in the bottom of the fifth, and pitched a scoreless sixth inning as well.
 
GAME TWO
Each team went scoreless in the top of the first inning before Alvernia got on the board in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly. Junior left fielder Chris Thomas and senior center fielder Jakob Fry led the top of the third inning off with a pair of singles to put runners on first and second. After the next two Lions were retired, junior third baseman Nick Sklenarik came through with a RBI single to left field to tie the game at one apiece. The Golden Wolves responded in the bottom of the third with two runs on two hits to go up 3-1. Jacavage doubled to centerfield to begin the top of the fourth before the next three Lions were retired in order to end the inning. Alvernia added to its lead in the bottom half of the fourth with five runs on five hits to take an 8-1 lead, all of the runs coming with two outs again. The Golden Wolves continued to pull away in the next two innings as they scored one run in the fifth inning, and eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 17-1. Alvernia scored three of its runs in the bottom of the sixth off two bases loaded walks and a hit by pitch, and three more runs on a two-out triple. After the Golden Wolves added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to go up 19-1, Jacavage ripped a two-run home run to right field to make it a 19-3 game in the top of the eighth inning. Alvernia scored its last run in the bottom of the eighth inning from a bases loaded walk with two outs. The Lions made a charge in the top of the ninth as they loaded the bases with one out. Algard roped a two-run double down the left field line to make it 20-5 before Jacavage continued his strong game with a two-run ground rule double, bring the score to 20-7. The next two Lions batters were retired to close out the game.
 
Jacavage had a career day in game two as he went 4-of-5 from the plate with four RBI's, falling a triple short of the cycle. Sklenarik went 2-of-4 from the dish in game two with one RBI and two runs scored. In game one, Adam led the Lions by going a perfect 3-of-3 from the plate with two RBI's. Algard drove in three runs between the two games and tallied three hits. O'Reilly suffered the loss in game one after allowing seven runs (two earned) on five hits with four strikeouts along with four walks in just 1.2 innings. Senior starting pitcher Ryan Kalinich was saddled with the loss in game two after allowing three earned runs on four hits along with two walks and one strikeout in three innings. Shane Ostrowsky earned the win in game one for Alvernia after allowing three runs (one earned) on nine hits in six innings, while striking out three and walking two batters. Michael Simmerman recorded the win in game two after allowing just one earned run on five hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts.
 
The Lions and Golden Wolves will meet again tomorrow, April 24th in a doubleheader as the venue shifts to Kelchner Field for Albright's senior day starting at 12 p.m.