Box Score READING, Pa. – After getting swept by Stevenson University in a doubleheader Sunday, the 12th-ranked Alvernia University baseball team rebounded to take the final game of the MAC Commonwealth series by a 6-1 count Monday at Angelica Park.
Stevenson (17-19, 8-10 MAC Commonwealth), which took the first conference series from Alvernia since 2014 with Sunday's sweep, sits tied for fifth in the conference standings with Hood, two games behind fourth-place Lebanon Valley for the final MAC Commonwealth playoff spot. Stevenson needs to sweep Messiah College next weekend and have Lebanon Valley get swept by Albright and Hood to drop at least one game to Widener in order to qualify for the conference tournament for the third straight season.
Alvernia (24-10-2, 13-5 MAC Commonwealth) jumped on the Mustangs early with two runs in the first and two in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Crusaders then tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth frames.
Stevenson's lone run came in the top of the ninth. Jake Hall struck out to lead off the inning, but reached on a wild pitch. After a John D'Aquanno single with one out moved Hall to second, senior Kevin Kopas singled to plate Hall.
Alvernia outhit Stevenson 9-4 on the day. The other two hits were registered by freshmen Mark Terrell and George Lowe.
John Catchmark improved to 7-2 on the mound for Alvernia, allowing two hits in eight inning while racking up 14 strikeouts against just one walk. Freshman Zach Kaye took the loss for Stevenson, allowing seven hits and five runs in four innings, striking out four. Erik Arenberg went the final four innings and allowed two hits and one unearned run with one strikeout and two walks.
Stevenson returns to action Tuesday as it hosts Penn State Harrisburg in its final non-conference game of the season. First pitch at Sugar Field is slated for 3:30 pm.
