BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
Center Valley, PA (March 20, 2010) – Head coach Tim Neiman became the 52nd coach in the history of NCAA Division III and the first in DeSales University history to win 500 career games, winning #500 and 501 on Saturday afternoon as the DeSales University baseball team swept Wilkes University in a Freedom Conference doubleheader to also sweep the three-game weekend series after the Bulldogs win over the Colonels yesterday at Butz Field.
The Bulldogs (7-4, 3-0 Freedom) scored a total of 29 runs in the two games, exploding for 10 runs in the fifth inning of game one and scored in five of the seven innings of game two to earn the sweep of the Colonels. Wilkes falls to 3-6, 0-3 Freedom on the season. Neiman now has a 501-276-5 (.644) career record in his 21st season at DeSales.
In the opener, Wilkes took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning after DSU had led 2-1 on a two-run homer from junior Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delware Valley) in the top of the fourth inning. But then the flood gates opened up.
In the fifth, DSU sent 14 men to the plate, hit four home runs, including an inside-the-park home run to cap off a 10-run fifth that put the game away. Senior Andrew Feher (Riegelsville, PA/Palisades) started the scoring with a three-run home run. Sophomore Jason Hadinger (Northampton, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) added a two-run shot, three batters later, Newland laced an RBI double, freshman Kenny Ridge (Allentown, NJ/Steinert) had an RBI triple, senior Derek Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) hit a two-run shot after Ridge's triple, and Feher hit his second homer of the inning with the inside-the-parker to right-center field to finish off the scoring.
Junior Travis Hughes (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) got the win with 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five. He is now 2-0 on the season. Among the offensive leaders in game one were sophomore Nick Chiovitti (Thomaston, CT/Holy Cross) with two hits, two runs, and an RBI, Ridge and Moyer with two hits, two runs, and two RBIs each, Feher who went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs, Hadinger with four hits, two runs, and three RBI, and Newland with two hits, two runs, and four RBI.
In the second game, Wilkes took an early 3-0 lead with three tallies in the bottom of the first inning, but DSU rallied to tie the game with two in the second and one in the third and plated three each in the fourth and the fifth to lead 9-4 and scored four more in the seventh to put the game away.
In the second, Newland hit his second homer of the day, another two-run shot to left-field. Senior Michael Jordan (Green Lane, PA/Souderton) doubled home Hadinger in the third and Chiovitti had an RBI triple, Moyer an RBI single, and junior Carson Slonaker (East Greenville, PA/The Perkiomen School) an RBI double in the three-run fourth. In the fifth, Ridge, Moyer, and Feher each had RBI base hits, while Feher had a two-RBI single in the seventh and Slonaker added another RBI single to finish off the scoring.
Freshman Dan Gayeski (New Castle, DE/Salesianum) earned his third win of the year with five innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs, while striking out five. Senior Mark Reilly (Cream Ridge, NJ/Notre Dame) struck out two in the sixth inning and senior Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) pitched a scoreless seventh.
Every Bulldog starter had at least one hit including Moyer (three hits), Feher, Slonaker, and Newland (two hits each). Chiovitti scored three times out of the lead-off spot and Ridge, Moyer, Jordan, and Newland each crossed home plate twice.
The Bulldogs return to action on Monday when they host University of Maine-Preque Isle in a non-conference game beginning at 3:30 pm. For those unable to attend you can follow the game online via LIVE Stats.
