READING, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team suffered a pair of losses to Alvernia on Saturday afternoon in a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader at Kelchner Field.
 
With the loss, the Lions conclude the 2021 regular season at 2-16 overall and 2-14 in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Golden Wolves finished the regular season 17-10-1 overall and 12-7-1 in conference play. After today's contest, the Lions honored their eight seniors as a part of senior day activities.
 
GAME ONE
The Golden Wolves were retired in order by senior starting pitcher Will Tokarski in the top of the first inning, and the Lions opened the bottom half of the inning by having their first two batters reach. Alvernia responded by recording three-straight outs to end the inning. The Golden Wolves advanced a runner to third with two outs in the top of the second, but Tokarski worked out of the inning with a sensational diving catch from senior right fielder Brandon Daubert on the right field line. Junior outfielder Chris Thomas roped a double to right field with one out to set the Lions up with a chance to take their first lead of the game. A throwing error from third base kept the inning alive with two outs, and senior shortstop Jimmie Gentry made Alvernia pay with a two-run triple to put Albright on top 2-0. However, the Golden Wolves quickly responded with a leadoff home run in the top of the third and a two-run double with two outs to go up 3-2. After the first two Lion batters were retired in the bottom of the third, Albright had its next three batters reach to load the bases. A wild pitch tied the game and senior outfielder Jakob Fry loaded the bases again by drawing a walk. Alvernia's second baseman had a grounder from sophomore Reece Adam get under his glove in the next at-bat to allow two runs to score, and put the Lions up 5-3. Gentry followed with a two-run double down the left field line, and junior third baseman Nick Sklenarik capped the inning with a RBI single to put the Lions up 8-3. After a scoreless fourth inning from each team, Alvernia began to chip away at the deficit as they used a two-run home run with one out to make it an 8-5 game. The Golden Wolves used a two-run triple with two outs to cut the Lions lead down to 8-7, and end the day for Tokarski. A walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Golden Wolves, and Mike Cirilli delivered with a grand slam to left field to give Alvernia an 11-8 lead. The Golden Wolves added two more runs to go up 13-8 to conclude their 10-run nine-hit inning. Albright wasted little time trying to rally as Thomas ripped a home run to centerfield to make it a 13-9 game in the bottom of the fifth. However, Alvernia responded with a pair of runs in the sixth, and seven more runs in the top of the seventh to take a commanding 22-9 lead. Albright refused to go quietly in the bottom of the seventh as Daubert struck a leadoff home run to left field to make it a 22-10 game. Thomas then picked up another RBI on a sacrifice fly following a triple from sophomore catcher Austin Gromlich to bring the score to 22-11. Albright added two more runs before the Golden Wolves recorded the final out to end the high-scoring affair.
 
GAME TWO
Alvernia jumped on the Lions immediately in the top of the first as they went up 3-0 on three hits and one error. The Lions responded with one run to make it 3-1 in the bottom of the first after Gromlich drew a bases loaded walk with two outs. Alvernia was able to get the run back in the top of the second on a two out RBI single following a triple in the previous at-bat. The Lions loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with two outs, and Gromlich came through with a two-run single through the right side to make it a 4-3 game. Unfortunately for the Lions, Alvernia countered with three runs to take a 7-3 lead in the top of the fourth. A single from Sklenarik and a double from Daubert put runners on second and third for Albright with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Junior first baseman Will Algard drove in a run off a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4, but the Lions were unable to get another run in the inning. The Golden Wolves took command of the game in the top of the sixth with five runs off five hits to take a 12-4 advantage. Four of the five runs came before an out was recorded in the inning. Albright was only able to get two more hits in the final four innings, and the Golden Wolves capped the game with two runs in the top of the ninth.
 
Gentry went 3-of-5 with four RBI's and two runs scored in game one, while Thomas went 2-of-3 with two RBI's and three runs scored. Gromlich went 2-of-4 from the plate in game one with two runs scored and drove in three runs in game two.  Tokarski suffered the loss in game one for the Lions after allowing eight earned runs on eight hits with a career-high eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings. First-year pitcher Adam Ferdock was dealt the loss in game two after allowing seven earned runs on eight hits with four walks and one strikeout in 3.2 innings. Michael Griffin earned the win in relief for Alvernia in game one after allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Brian Kane recorded the win in game two after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and one strikeout in 5.0 innings. Mike Ramundo paced the Golden Wolves offense on Saturday after going 6-of-11 from the plate in the two games for Alvernia, drove in 10 runs, and homered in both games. Cirilli went a combined 5-of-10 from the plate, scored six runs, and drove in seven runs in the two games.
 
The Lions will now await their opponent in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament play-in game on Tuesday, April 27th