BOX SCOREWest Lawn, Pa. (May 4, 2013) - Championship MVP Richie Ricciardi (Manalapan, N.J./Malanapan) tripled home the first run of the game in the sixth and hit a 2-run homer in the eighth and top-seeded Alvernia University (33-9) won its first Commonwealth Conference Baseball Championship with a 3-1 win over #2 Arcadia University (23-19-1) Saturday afternoon at Owls Field.
Alvernia junior Aaron Benusis (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) and Arcadia senior Jordan Hofferman went toe-to-toe holding the opposition scoreless through the first five innings. Alvernia had baserunners in four of the first five innings and Billy Turner (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) opened the sixth with a single. Back-to-back pop ups to second and it looked like Hofferman was going to strand another runner, but Ricciardi delivered a two-out triple to the gap in right center to score Turner.
Benusis, who allowed just two hits and a walk through seven innings, gave way to closer Kevin Becker-Menditto (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) looking for a six-out save. He gave up a single to Nick Petroski to open the eighth and Arcadia sacrificed him to second. Becker-Menditto then picked Petroski off second and ended the frame with a groundout to second.
Alvernia had two more pop outs to start the eighth and Chris Gehris (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) extended the inning with an infield single before Ricciardi launched his second homer of the season to right to give Becker-Menditto some breathing room.
Arcadia brought the tying run to the plate with no one out with a single and an error, and moved them up with a groundout to the mound. Another groundout followed before Geroge Pagan drove home the Knights first run with a single left. Becker-Menditto induced one more groundout, fittingly to Ricciardi at short, to end the game.
Alvernia starters were terrific over the three games of the Commonwealth Championship allowing just two runs over 21 innings. Becker-Menditto appeared in all three games and allowed just one run over five and a third innings.
The Crusaders will find their regional assignment and seeding following the NCAA's national selection call next Sunday.