Wilkes Baseball Sweeps Del Val for First Conference Win

In a three-game series with Delaware Valley University, the Wilkes Baseball team defeated them three-for-three.

“This season has been great so far. We have taken a step forward this year, holding a record of 12-8,” sophomore outfielder Darien Rivera said.

The first game was played in Doylestown, Pa. and it was very close. It was a stand-off between the two pitchers, Wilkes pitcher Quinn Kelly and Delaware Valley’s Jeremy Hefele, for seven innings.

The first seven innings remained scoreless. The first score of the game came in the top of the eighth by Matthew Reese from Wilkes, after James Brown hit a double into the left center field gap.

In the bottom of the eighth, Matt Kaster was brought in to finish the inning. However, he gave up a single run to tie the game going into the final inning.

In the final inning, Joe Champi led off the inning with a walk. Ryan Herbst then followed with a double, bringing Champi to third. Finally, Joshua Slocum hit a fly ball to send Champi home for the final point of the game. The game finished 2-1, and Kaster finished out the ninth without any following points.

Wilkes had a tough start to the second game. Senior Marcus Leaf pitched, giving up four runs in the first inning and one in the second. This took Delaware Valley to an early 5-0 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Wilkes scored three runs off of three hits. The following inning, Champi hit a double and brought in two runs, which tied the score at 5-5.

Ryan Herbst finished the game in the bottom of the ninth by hitting a homerun over the left field fence bringing Brown home with him. This gave the Colonels the second of three wins, with a final score of 7-5.

In the final game, Wilkes remained in the lead throughout the game. Wilkes scored runs in the first, third and fifth, which put three points on the board. Delaware Valley posted two points on the board in the top of the second. It remained close until Wilkes had six hits in the bottom of the sixth,  scoring five runs. The game ended 8-2.

“What I like most about the team is that we are a family. We have grown to love one another and will always be there for each other. Coming off a successful trip to Florida, we came and lost three conference games. However, we stayed focused and motivated, which drove us to our victory over Del Val. It felt good to get those wins under our belts to fuel our way for the rest of the season,” Rivera said.

Josh Slocum hits a fly to take the lead in game one of Del Val series.
Josh Slocum hits a fly to take the lead in game one of Del Val series.