Box Score

Lebanon Valley 5, Widener 2 (Box) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E WU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 2 LVC 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 X 5 9 1 W: Cinicola (2-1) | L: Stanners (1-2) S: Specht (3)

ANNVILLE, Pa. - Corey Cinicola and Austin Hornberger held off a potent Widener line-up as Lebanon Valley won, 5-2, to capture the season series.

Making up the game originally scheduled for March 14, the Dutchmen (12-6, 4-2 CC) moved into second place in the Commonwealth Conference, a game behind Alvernia, with the win over the Pride (10-6, 4-2 CC). 

Mike Specht drove in the go-ahead run to cap a three-run third inning, part of a 3-for-4 day, and later earned his third save of the season to preserve a solid start by Cinicola (2-1) and Hornberger's 3.1-inning hold.

Zach Smith extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a pair of hits, including a two-run triple to start the third-inning rally, while Ethan Klink reached base in all four of his plate appearances, executing a suicide squeeze in the sixth inning to pad LVC's lead.

The win was LVC's third in a row and sixth in five days, ending a stretch of seven games in that span that saw the Dutchmen go 6-1, including three conference victories.

Widener struck for two runs in the first as Cinicola had trouble settling in on a frigid, windy afternoon at McGill Field. The Pride took advantage of three walks in the inning to score a pair of runs on Ed Speakman's triple, but Cinicola got Paul Shepherd swinging to end the inning and cruised from there, allowing just four hits through five innings with three strikeouts.

In the third, Klink led off with a single and reached second on a Widener error during Mike Puglisi's sacrifice attempt. Two batters later, Smith tripled to the wall in right, scoring both runners, and Specht later dropped a single down the leftfield line to bring in Tim Filer and lead 3-2. Widener threatened in the fifth but a big defensive play ended the inning; with a man on first, Michael Riverso doubled over Tim Filer's head in right, but the senior hit Puglisi on the relay, who threw out Matt Scherer at home.

Hornberger relieved Cinicola in the sixth and didn't skip a beat, while LVC added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning thanks to Klink's bunt. After Specht singled and worked around to third with one out, Widener pulled starter Glenn Stanners for Kyle McKelvy and Klink executed the suicide squeeze on the first pitch he threw as Specht beat the throw home. Phill Dohner drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the eighth to made it 5-2.

Hornberger got the first out of the ninth before putting two men on for Specht, who struck out Riverso and popped up Speakman to end the game.

LVC will host Lancaster Bible Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.