BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
Center Valley, PA (April 26, 2008) – On the last day of the Freedom Conference regular season, the DeSales University baseball team knew that two wins would get them in the playoffs and the Bulldogs came thru with two one-run wins qualifying the Bulldogs for the Freedom post-season for the ninth straight year and eliminating the defending Freedom Conference champions, Wilkes University, from the extra season.
DSU improves to 20-18-1 overall and 10-8 in the Freedom Conference, while the Colonels fall out of the conference post-season and are now 20-14 overall and 8-10 in the Freedom. Wilkes finished tied for fourth with Delaware Valley College but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Aggies, while DeSales finishes in a tie for second place with Arcadia University but earns the #2 seed by virtue of its head-to-head series with over the Knights during the regular season. Manhattanville College will be the #1 seed in next weekend's tournament.
The Bulldogs earned their ninth straight trip to the Freedom playoffs with a pair of one-run wins, 4-3 and 3-2. In game one, DeSales needed one run in the sixth to tie the game and scored one run on three straight two-out singles in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game. Sophomore Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) was outstanding all day long and earned the win in game one tossing 1.2 innings of relief, retiring all five batters he faced, including striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning.
DSU erased a 2-0 deficit with runs in the second and third inning as junior Matt Connors (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) had an RBI groundout in the second and junior Zac Hess (Harleysville, PA/LaSalle) had a sacrifice fly in the third. Wilkes regained a one-run lead in the fourth which stood till the bottom of the sixth when junior Greg Treat (Concord, NH/Concord) finished off a 4-for-4 effort with his third single knocking in Hess to tie the game. DSU left the bases loaded in the frame but with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Hess, sophomore Mike Bianca (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. St. Joseph) and Treat each singled with Treat knocking in Hess for the second consecutive inning to win the game for DeSales.
Treat finished 4-for-4, knocking in the game-tying and game-winning runs, while sophomore Doc Neiman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) was 3-for-3 in the win. Hess finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI and senior Andrew Heard (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) had one hit and stole one base moving him into a tie for first all-time with 74 swipes. Freshman Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley) pitched well going 5.1 innings allowing just two hits and one earned run for his no-decision.
In game two, DSU started early scoring once in the second and twice in the third to open up a 3-0 lead on the Colonels. Sophomore Derek Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) knocked in the first run with an RBI single and sophomore Andrew Feher (Riegelsville, PA/Palisades) and Treat each had RBI singles in the second to score the Bulldogs final two runs.
From that point, junior Chris Brian (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) took over as Brian pitched into the seventh inning allowing six hits and one earned run, while striking out four to improve to 5-1 on the season and Walsh pitched out of a jam in the seventh allowing one hit and striking out one to earn his eighth save of the season and close the door on the Colonels. Senior Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall), Feher and Treat each had two hits in the win, while Heard added one hit and one more stolen base to break Pete Remaly's all-time record for steals with 75 in his career.
DSU has one more game on its schedule prior to taking the field at Quakertown Memorial Park next weekend for the Freedom Conference playoffs. The Bulldogs take on one of its local rivals, Muhlenberg College, in Coca-Cola Park (home of the LV IronPigs) on Monday afternoon beginning at 4:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door for the game.
