Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Baseball
Widener 10, Lebanon Valley 2
Lebanon Valley 8, Widener 7 (8 inn.)

CHESTER, Pa. - Lebanon Valley took a dramatic extra-inning win in game two to salvage a doubleheader split with Widener in the Commonwealth Conference opener on Saturday.

The Dutchmen (6-5, 1-1 CC) bounced back from a 10-2 loss in the opener with an 8-7 victory thanks to Phill Dohner's sacrifice fly to score Corey Cinicola in the top of the eighth, and freshman Corey Sell earned his first career save after the Pride (7-6, 1-1 CC) had rallied back to tie it in the seventh.

Freshman Corey Sell earned his first career save in game two, with Mike Specht earning the win after a solid start from Casey Wall. Zach Smith led LVC at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI in game two, while Dohner scored two runs on a 2-for-4 game at the plate.

Game 1

Widener's pop at the plate ended up overwhelming LVC in a 10-2 opener, as the Pride slugged all of their runs on just eight hits keyed by a five-run fifth to put the game out of reach.

Tim Filer scored LVC's first run on a throwing error in the second and Smith knocked in Brandon Popp in the fifth, but Widener manufactured two runs each in the first and third innings to take an early lead. Widener's fifth inning was extended by a pair of errors that helped Paul Shepherd and Sam Christie key the five-run surge.

Austin Hornberger (1-2) made the start and allowed four earned runs in three innings. Jason Barthold (2.0 IP, 2 ER) and Patrick Reagan (1.0 IP, 1 ER) worked the balance of the game out of the bullpen. Widener's Robert Barth struck out eight in the complete game win as LVC scattered six hits.

Game 2

The nightcap was a wild back-and-forth game, with the Pride erasing a 7-2 deficit in the last two innings only to lose on Dohner's sacrifice fly in extra innings.

Casey Wall received no decision with a solid start, allowing three hits and no earned runs through five innings. Lee Webber pitched 1.1 innings of relief and Specht (1-1) ended up with the win out of the bullpen closing out the seventh, with Sell earning his first career save in the eighth.

LVC snatched a quick 3-1 lead thanks to some Widener miscues in the second when a balk scored Jordan Higgins, a wild pitch brought in Brett Fundell, and Specht plated off a Zac Edwards ground-out. Smith's sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Dohner, and Devin Dellinger came in on another wild pitch to lead 5-1. Yet another errant pitch led to Mike Puglisi's run in the sixth before Dellinger brought in Dohner to establish a seemingly safe 7-2 lead through five and a half.

The Pride started to chip away, however, knocking in two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-4. In the seventh, Widener loaded the bases with one out as Webber yielded the way for Specht. A two-run single by Michael Riverso brought the lead down to a run, and after a fly-out and a hit-by-pitch, Shepherd drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to tie the game before Specht rung up Justin Healey to send it to extras.

Despite losing the lead, LVC responded in a big way as Cinicola walked to lead off the eighth and went to second on a wild pitch before being sacrificed over by Puglisi, setting up Dohner's sac fly to center to score the go-ahead run. Sell shut down Widener in the eighth, fanning the third out for the save.


NEXT GAME: After a number of postponements, LVC is slated to open at home Wednesday against Ursinus, but must still make up their pushed back nine-inning game with Widener from Friday. Sunday's non-conference home game against Frostburg State has been postponed.