READING, Pa. – The Stevenson University baseball team swept a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader from Albright College Saturday afternoon at Kelchner Field, going nine innings to earn a 4-3 win in the opener before completing the three-game series sweep with a 7-2 win in the nightcap.
Stevenson (20-20, 11-10 MAC Commonwealth) needed one win entering the day to secure its second straight MAC Commonwealth Championship berth. The Mustangs will face top-seeded Alvernia University on Thursday, May 5 at 4:00 pm in a first round game at Santander Stadium in York, Pa.
In the opener, the Mustangs took a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth when sophomore Jake Hall belted a one-out home run to left field, the third home run of the game. Albright (5-29, 1-20 MAC Commonwealth) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Keller hit a solo shot. Stevenson took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by senior Nick Peifer.
The Lions got on the board first, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Stevenson scored three times in the sixth, with an RBI single by senior Kevin Kopas getting the Mustangs on the board before Peifer's home run.
Freshman Jason Bidwell earned the win in relief for Stevenson, going 2.1 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out one. Freshman James Wiercinski went the first 6.2 innings and allowed five hits and three runs while notching five strikeouts. Peifer led Stevenson with a pair of hits.
In the nightcap Stevenson jumped out to a 7-0 lead, scoring one in the first, two in the third, one in the fourth and three in the fifth.
In the first, senior Craig Joseph hit a two-out double and scored on a Kopas single. Joseph knocked in Stevenson's second run in the third, doubling to bring in senior Ian Eberly, who worked a leadoff walk. A Peifer sacrifice fly brought in senior Kevin Wu to make it 3-0. Eberly made it 4-0 in the fourth when his sac fly plated freshman Jimmy Matt.
In the fifth, Kopas kicked off a two-out rally by walking, then Peifer singled to right. Sophomore Billy Small then belted a three-run home run to center.
Joseph finished 2-3 in the nightcap as Stevenson outhit Albright 8-5.
Senior Matt Myers earned the win, starting and going two innings and allowing just a pair of hits and striking out one. Five Mustang pitchers combined for the five-hit effort.
