York, Pa. (May 2, 2015) – Championship Most Valuable Player Louis Marotta nailed down a 5-out save and top-seeded Alvernia University (32-12) won its second Commonwealth Conference Baseball Championship with a 6-1 win over #4 Widener University (23-18) in the if-necessary game Saturday afternoon at Santander Stadium.
 
The Crusaders opened with three runs in the top of the first, scored once in the sixth, and tacked on two in the top of the ninth.  Ben Sawyer went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Joe Iacobellis pinch hit in the ninth and drove in two runs.  Ryan Sheekey earned the win in relief going six innings allowing a run on seven hits, and Marotta went 1.2 innings and allowed just a walk in his first save of the year.
 
Alvernia returns to the NCAA Regional and will find its first round opponent and location following the selection call next Sunday.
 
Richie Ricciardi opened the game with a 4-pitch walk and Widener starter Joe Santone tried to get the lead runner when James Bertolotti laid down a bunt, but the throw to second was late putting the first two on.
 
Sawyer followed with a slicing double into the left field corner plating Ricciardi and Bertolotti, and two batters later, Zach Nadolny ripped a run-scoring single to left.
 
Widener sophomore Bob Barnett lead off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle and moved up on a sacrifice bunt.  Matt Scherer walked to put two on and second baseman Brok Martin made a spectacular diving play on a one-hopper off the mound that turned into an inning-ending double play.
 
Sheekey entered in the bottom of the second taking the ball from freshman starter Tim Carfrey who allowed a single and a one-out walk.  Sheekey enduced back-to-back grounders to get out of the inning.
 
Widener scored its first run of the game in the home half of the fourth.  Nicholas Enos hit a double to center that chased home Matthew Guarino who drew a one-out walk.  Enos took third when the relay throw went to the plate, but Micahel Elfreth struck out and Joseph Addvensky flew out to center to end the inning.
 
Widener threatened again in the bottom of the fifth when Matt Scherer skied a ball into right field that Sawyer lost in the sun for a 3-base error.  Michael Rytelewski laid down a bunt in an attempt to score Scherer from third, but Bertolloti pounced on the ball in front of the plate and retired Rytelewski while holding Scherer at third.  Sheekey got a grounder to second to end the inning.
 
The Alvernia offense went right to work on an insurance run in the top of the sixth.  Dan George walked with one out and Martin dropped a double into the right field corner moving George to third.  Freshman centerfielder Vinny Case delivered the RBI on a fly ball to center.
 
Widener pieced together a threat immediately starting the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles, but Enos and Elfreth both flied out on 1-0 pitches.  The runners moved up a base on a passed ball but Addvensky flied out to left to end the threat.
 
Two innings later the Pride had a runner on with one out against Sheekey before he turned the ball over to Marotta.  Marotta walked his first batter bringing the potential tying run to the plate, but Enos grounded out to Ricciardi at short and Elfreth popped up the first pitch of his at-bat.
 
Alvernia pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth.  Martin was hit by a pitch and Case reached on a fielding error by the Widener pitcher.  Ricciardi moved the runners up with a sacrifice and Iacobellis—a defensive replacement earlier in the game—drive a 2-run single to center.
 
Marotta worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close it out.