BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (March 19, 2010) – Freshman David Drinks (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) tossed seven innings allowing just three runs and striking out eight to lead the DeSales University baseball team past Wilkes University, 5-4, in the Freedom Conference season opener and the first game at Butz Field in the 2010 season on what was a perfect Friday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (5-4, 1-0 Freedom) jumped all over the Colonels (3-4, 0-1 Freedom) scoring three times in the first and two times in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. In the first inning, junior Carson Slonaker (East Greenville, PA/The Perkiomen School) had the big blow, a three RBI triple to left-center field with two outs staking DSU to a 3-0 lead. In the second inning, the Bulldogs struck again with two outs as freshman Kenny Ridge (Allentown, NJ/Steinert) had an RBI single and senior Derek Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) plated Ridge with a double one batter later.

DSU got two more runs in the sixth to take a 7-0 lead on RBI hits from junior Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley) and Ridge and tacked on one more run in the eighth on an RBI triple from Newland.

Drinks did the rest as he shutout the Colonels over the first six innings before giving up two runs on a two-out double in the seventh inning. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter in his first career Freedom Conference start. Senior Mark Reilly (Cream Ridge, NJ/Notre Dame) and senior Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to seal the win.

Ridge finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Newland was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, sophomore Jason Hadinger (Northampton, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) scored twice, Slonaker had three RBIs, and Moyer collected two hits in the win.

DeSales will return to action on Saturday when they travel up to Wilkes for the second and third game of the three-game weekend set with game one starting at 12:00 pm.