2008 Baseball Recaps

May 1, 2008:  Commonwealth Tournament:  Messiah 3, Albright 0

West Lawn, PA - Albright fell to Messiah 3-0 in the opening round of the Commonwealth Conference Tournament Thursday night at Owls Field. The loss sends the Lions to a Friday morning elimination game against Widener, who fell to Elizabethtown 4-0 in the first game Thursday afternoon.

Albright sophomore righthander Casey Lawrence and Falcon senior Dan Kern squared off in quite a pitcher's dual, as runs were hard to come by all night.  Albright had its best chance to score in the top of the first inning, when Jordan Boyer's two-out single and a Messiah error put runners on first and second with two outs.  Kern got Jeff Kulp on a deep fly to right-center field to end the inning, however, and it would seven more innings until the Lions recorded their next hit.  Messiah scored two runs in the bottom of the first off Lawrence, using three hits and an error to take the early lead.  After the first inning, neither pitcher allowed a thing until the bottom of the seventh inning.  Craig Mease connected for a solo shot off Lawrence in the seventh for what would be the final run of the night.  Albright got the leadoff runner on in the seventh, only to see him erased on a double play.  Kyle Wenrich's one-out single in the ninth was the first hit for the Lions since the first inning, and the Lions managed to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Kern escaped the jam unharmed as Messiah advanced to the winners bracket final. Lawrence was a hard-luck loser on the mound, as he allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in eight innings of work while striking out a career-high 11 batters.

April 26, 2008:  Elizabethtown 3, Albright 0; Albright 18, Elizabethtown 17

Reading, PA - Jeff Kulp tied a school record with seven RBI's as Albright won a slugfest 18-17 in game two of a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader with Elizabethtown Saturday afternoon on Kelchner Field.  The win salvaged a split of the twinbill with the Blue Jays, who took game one by a score of 3-0.

Kulp got Albright's offense untracked in the first inning of game two.  After Blue Jay starter Adam Hartzell issued three straight one-out walks, Kulp crushed a towering grand slam home run into the trees in left field for a 4-1 Albright lead. The Lions (16-16, 7-5) added three more runs in the second, getting an RBI double from Jason Dunkelberger, an RBI single from Jordan Boyer, and a run-scoring ground out by Kulp to give Albright a 7-1 lead.  The third inning was nothing short of wild, as the teams combined for 15 runs.  Elizabethtown erased Albright's lead in a hurry, scoring eight times in the top of the third inning. The big blow for the Blue Jays (22-10, 10-2) was a grand slam home run from Brian Kiernan. Albright came right back at the Jays, scoring seven times in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead at 14-9.  With two runs already in, Boyer delivered a two-run single to give the Lions an 11-9 lead.  Albright then took advantage of two Etown errors and a bases loaded walk to add three more runs for a 14-9 lead. After struggling a little upon entering the game in the thirs, Mike Billera-Smith set the visitors down in order in the fifth and sixth innings.  Albright added a run in the fifth on Tim Conner's second home run of the season to take a 15-9 lead into the sixth inning. After walking the leadoff hitter, Smith gave way to Jordan Boyer.  An Albright error helped open the floodgates for the Blue Jays, as they would score three times in the sixth to pull within three at 15-12.  Albright once again responded in the bottom of the sixth, and again it was Kulp doing the damage. Kulp laced a two-run double to right to put Albright on top 17-12, then scored on another Etown error to give Albright a six-run lead heading to the seventh.  The Lions would need every one of those runs, as Etown made one last rally. The Blue Jays would score five runs and have runners on first and second with two outs, but Derek Althouse, who came on in relief of Boyer with one out, induced a game ending pop-up to finally bring an end to the wild affair.  Kulp was 2-5 with two runs scored to go along with the seven RBI's, while Dunkelberger went 3-4 with four runs scored, two RBI's, and a pair of doubles. Billera-Smith earned the win, the first of his career, with Althouse picking up the save.

Game one was the exact opposite of the nightcap, as Matt Kutz tossed a five-hit shutout for Etown. The Blue Jays scored all three of their runs in the fifth, then rode Kutz the rest of the way.  Shane Stein suffered the loss for Albright to fall to 3-2 on the season.

April 25, 2008: Elizabethtown 9, Albright 0

Elizabethtown, PA - Sam Heaps tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Elizabethtown to a 9-0 win over Albright in the opening game of the final Commonwealth Conference series for both teams Friday afternoon.  The Blue Jays (21-9, 9-1) clinch the regular season title and the #1 seed in next week's Commonwealth Tournament with the win, while the Lions (15-15, 6-4) need two wins on Saturday to claim the #2 seed in the tournament.

Heaps was very strong on the mound, as he never allowed an Albright runner to reach third base.  The Lions got a runner to second with two outs in each of the first and third innings but could not get the run home.  Etown reached Lion starter Casey Lawrence for a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, then added two more in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.  The Blue Jays added a run in the seventh and blew the game open with a four-run eighth, as the Lions were unable to mount any offense against Heaps.

Lawrence suffered the loss on the mound to fall to 4-2 on the season.  He allowed four earned runs in six innings of work on 10 hits while striking out two batters. 

 April 23, 2008: Casey Lawrence named pitcher of the week

Reading, PA– Sophomore righthander Casey Lawrence has been named the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week ending Sunday, April 21.  This marks the third time Lawrence has been honored as the pitcher of the week this season.  Lawrence tossed a complete-game seven hitter to beat Lebanon Valley 18-1 Friday afternoon. He did not allow a run until the top of the ninth inning, and struck out four while walking just two.  Earlier in the week, he struck out three in two perfect innings against New Jersey City.  Lawrence leads the Lions with a 4-1 record and a 1.49 earned run average.

April 22, 2008: Albright 12, Ursinus 4

Collegeville, PA - Albright's bats continued their hot run Tuesday afternoon as the Lions pounded out 17 hits on the way to a 12-4 win at Ursinus.  The win is the fifth straight for the Lions, who improve to 15-14 on the season.  Ursinus falls to 16-13 with the loss.

Albright jumped on top quickly, scoring three times in the top of the first inning.  After Jordan Boyer brought in the first run of the day with a sacrifice fly, Casey Lawrence drilled a two-out, two-run home run to left field to stake the Lions to a 3-0 lead.  Albright added two more runs in the second on a Kyle Wenrich sac fly and a bases loaded walk to Lawrence.  Ursinus finally reached Lion starter Kevin Thomas in the bottom of the fourth, scoring twice on a bases loaded single by Chris Fusco.  The Bears closed the gap to 5-3 in the sixth, but Albright responded with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.  Chad Mackey opened the inning with a double to left, and went to third on a Lawrence single.  One out later Shawn Walbert delivered a pinch hit RBI single to plate Mackey.  With two outs and runners on the corners, Matt Pannella come up with another clutch pinch hit single to score Lawrence and give Albright a 7-3 lead.  After Ursinus scored once in the seventh, Albright blew the game open with a five-run eighth.  Mackey, Walbert, and Wenrich each had RBI singles in the inning while Matt Kozlowski drove in a pair of runs with a single.  Mike Billera-Smith tossed a scoreless eighth and Tim Flannery posted a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the Bears.  Wenrich and Lawrence each had three hits to lead the attack, with Lawrence driving in three runs. Thomas picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings of work.  The Lions were also solid in the field, playing errorless baseball and turning five double plays.

April 21, 2008: Albright 5, Kutztown 4
 

Reading, PA - Albright edged Kutztown 5-4 in a non-conference game at First Energy Stadium Monday night.  The win is the fifth in six games for the Lions, who improve to 14-14 on the season.  Kutztown falls to 21-20 with the loss.  The Lions scored first in the game, picking up three runs in the top of the fourth inning.  Aaron Kopetsky drew a bases loaded walk to bring home the first run, and Kyle Wenrich delivered a two-out, two-run single that gave the Lions a 3-0 lead.  Kutztown answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, then tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth.  Albright took the lead for good in the seventh, staging a two-run rally that all came with two outs.  Tim Conner was hit by a pitch to start things off, and Jeff Kulp followed with a single to put runners on first and second.  Chad Mackey then singled to center, scoring Matt Pannella, who was pinch-running for Conner, giving the Lions a 4-3 lead.  Kopetsky then lined a single to right to plate Kulp and give Albright a two-run advantage.  Kutztown pulled within a run in the bottom of the eight, but Kevin Butler induced a fly out with runners on second and third to escape the jam without further damage.  Jordan Boyer then came on to pitch a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save of the season and give the Lions their first win over their Berks County rivals since 2003.  Kulp and Mackey each had two hits to lead Albright at the plate, while Kopetsky and Wenrich drove in two runs a piece.  Kyle Fleck got the win for Albright in relief of Derek Althouse, who gave the Lions 5 1/3 strong innings on the mound.

April 19, 2008:  Albright 6, Lebanon Valley 3; Albright 6, Lebanon Valley 4

 Annville, PA - Albright swept a doubleheader at Lebanon Valley Saturday afternoon, taking game one 6-3 and completing the sweep with a 6-4 win in game two.  The Lions (13-14, 6-3) swept the three-game set from the Dutchmen (10-19, 0-9) to clinch a berth in the Commonwealth Conference tournament heading into the final week of the regular season. 

 Albright took a 1-0 lead in game one on Matt Kozlowski’s two-out single that scored Derek Althouse.  The lead increased to 2-0 in the third when Jordan Boyer tripled with one out and scored on a Tim Conner single.  Albright started to pull away in the fourth, getting two out RBI’s from Kyle Wenrich and Boyer to increase its lead to 4-0.  Kozlowski came up big for the Lions again in the fifth, drilling a two-out double to right-center that scored Althouse and Jeff Kulp and gave Albright a 6-0 lead.  Albright sophomore lefthander Shane Stein held the Dutchmen scoreless for the first four innings, but ran into some trouble in the fifth.  LVC bunched four hits to score three times and cut Albright’s lead in half to 6-3.  That would be all of the scoring, however, as Kevin Butler came in to start the sixth for Albright and slammed the door on the Dutchmen.  Butler struck out the side in the sixth after allowing an infield single to open the inning, then closed the door in the seventh to earn his second save of the season.  Stein improves to 3-1 on the season with the win.  Kozlowski was 2-4 at the plate with three RBI’s to lead Albright’s offense, while Boyer and Althouse also had two hits each.

 Game two saw the Lions take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  Tim Conner’s deep fly to left center with two outs in the inning was dropped, allowing Jason Dunkelberger to score the game’s first run.  Kulp then singled home Conner for a 2-0 Lion lead.  LVC took its first lead in the series in the third, when an Albright error and a three-run home run from Joe Soupik helped the Dutchmen produce a four-run inning and take a 4-2 lead.  The Lions answered right back, scoring four times in the top of the fourth to retake the lead at 6-4.  A Casey Lawrence sac fly and an RBI single from Derek Althouse tied the game at four, and Kyle Wenrich’s two-out, two-run double put the Lions on top to stay at 6-4.  Tim Flannery settled down after the third, allowing just one hit over the next three innings.  After retiring the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh, Flannery issued a walk to LVC leadoff hitter Brandon Thompson, then gave way to Jordan Boyer.  Boyer got Corey Lamoureaux to ground into a fielders choice for the second out, then retired John Mentzer on a fly ball to center for the final out, completing the Albright sweep.  Flannery improves to 2-4 on the season after allowing three earned runs on six hits while walking three and striking out four.  Nathan Blough took the loss for LVC, tossing a complete game eight-hitter.  Althouse and Kulp each had a pair of hits to lead the Lions offensively. 

  April 18, 2008:  Albright 18, Lebanon Valley 1

Reading, PA - Albright opened a three-game series against Lebanon Valley with an 18-1 blowout win Friday afternoon on Kelchner Field.  The Lions’ (11-14, 4-3) season-best 18 runs came on 23 hits, including six extra base hits, as Albright scored in every inning but the fourth.

The Lions jumped on LVC(9-18, 0-7) right away, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first, all coming with two outs.  Jordan Boyer’s two-out bunt single got things started, and a Dutchmen error put runners on second and third.  Jeff Kulp then delivered a two-run single for a 2-0 Albright lead.  After Chad Mackey singled to put runners on the corners and then stole second, Derek Althouse doubled for two more runs to give the Lions a 4-0 lead. After adding single runs in the second and third innings, Albright put the game out of reach in the fifth.  The Lions scored their first run on an LVC error, then Kyle Wenrich delivered a two-run single to make the score 9-0.  Four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Kulp’s solo home run, his fourth of the season, gave Albright a 13-0 lead.  The Lions kept right on scoring, putting up two in the seventh, then three more in the eighth.  Freshman Shawn Walbert belted a two-run home run in the three-run eighth, the first round-tripper of his career.  The offensive fireworks overshadowed another fine pitching performance from sophomore righthander Casey Lawrence.  Lawrence carried a shutout into the ninth inning before allowing a run on a ground out in the top of the ninth.  He allowed seven hits in the game and walked two while striking out four in improving to 4-1 on the season.  Kulp finished the day 4-5 at the plate with three RBI’s and three runs scored, while Althouse, was 3-5 with three RBI’s and two runs scored and Mackey was 3-5 with three runs scored.  Wenrich also had three runs batted in for the Lions. Mike Snyder took the loss for LVC, while Joe Soupik was 3-4 to lead the Dutchmen at the plate.

  April 8, 2008: Alvernia 8, Albright 1 Box Score

Reading, PA - Alvernia broke open a close game with five runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to take an 8-1 win over Albright Tuesday afternoon on Kelchner Field. The loss drops the Lions to 9-13 on the season, while Alvernia improves to 21-8.

Alvernia reached Albright sophomore right-hander Derek Althouse for two runs in the top of the first inning. After that Althouse and his Alvernia counterpart Shane Zellers settled into a pitchers duel, with neither surrendering another run through six innings. The Lions loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning, but could not score the runners as Alvernia held on to its 2-0 lead. The Crusaders broke the game open in the top of the seventh. With two outs and no one on base, a double, a hit batter, and another double scored a run and spelled the end of the day for Althouse. Sophomore Joe Clark entered looking to put out the fire for the Lions, but was greeted by a Dale Curry three-run home run that made the score 6-0. Alvernia would add one more run before the inning ended, taking a 7-0 lead to the bottom of the seventh inning. The Crusaders added a run in the eighth on a Steve Bealer solo home run for an 8-0 lead. Albright got its only run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jason Dunkelberger drilled a solo home run to left-center field. Zellers was the winning pitcher, throwing six shutout innings, while Althouse took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season.

April 7, 2008: Albright 4, Widener 0 Box Score

Chester, PA - Shane Stein fired eight-plus of five-hit shutout ball to lead Albright to a 4-0 Commonwealth Conference win at Widener Monday afternoon. The win gives Albright a 2-1 advantage in the season series and improves the Lions to 3-3 in conference play, 9-12 overall, while the Pride fall to 2-4, 17-6.

Albright scored its first two runs in the top of the fourth, as Tim Conner and Jeff Kulp led off the inning with back to back singles. With two outs and the runners on second and third, Matt Kozlowski delivered a double to left to plate Conner and Kulp and stake Albright to a 2-0 lead. Stein, meanwhile, cruised through the first seven innings, at one point retiring 13 consecutive hitters and allowing only two hits through seven. Albright added a run in the eighth, when Casey Lawrence singled to drive in Chad Mackey, who had reached on one of Widener's six errors in the game. Stein ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the eighth, as the first two Widener batters singled to put runners on first and second with no one out. After a fielder's choice put runners on the corners, Stein got a pop-up back to the mound, and with the Pride runner on first running on the pitch, easily completed the double play at first to escape the jam unharmed. Albright added an insurance run in the ninth. Jason Dunkelberger led off with his third hit of the day, stole second, and went to third when the throw went into center field. He would score one batter later on a wild pitch to give Albright a 4-0 lead. Stein went back out for the ninth, but after a leadoff single by Widener's Tom DeAngelis, gave way to Lion closer Jordan Boyer. Boyer got the first hitter to ground into a 1-6-3 double play, then retired the final Widener batter on a line drive to left for his third save of the season. The win is Stein's second of the season, as he struck out three and walked just one. Dunkelberger was 3-5 to lead the Lion offense.

April 6, 2008: Albright 9, Widener 3 Box Score; Widener 7, Albright 3 Box Score

Reading, PA - Albright split a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader with Widener on Sunday, taking game one 9-3 before dropping game two 7-3. The final game of the three game set will be played Monday at Widener.

Widener (17-5, 2-3) opened the scoring in game one in the top of the second inning. Colin McHale's two-run double staked the Pride to a 2-0 lead. The Lions (8-12, 2-3) got one back in the third, when Kyle Wenrich singled with two outs, stole second, and scored on Jason Dunkelberger's RBI single. Albright took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, when Jeff Kulp belted a towering two-run home run to left center field to put the Lions on top 3-2. The Lions got two more runs in the fifth, loading the bases with no one out, then scoring when Jordan Boyer was hit by a pitch and a Tim Conner single to lead 5-2. Casey Lawrence settled in on the mound after the second, retiring 11 straight hitters from the second through the fifth inning. Albright broke the game open in the sixth, scoring four times for a 9-2 lead. The big blow in the inning was a bases loaded single by Conner to drive in two runs. The Lions picked up another run on the play when the ball got past the center fielder, allowing Boyer to score all the way from first. Mike Cahill led off the seventh with a solo home run for the Pride, but Lawrence had no trouble closing the door after that to pick up his third win of the season. Lawrence allowed six hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out six in his third complete game of the season. Dunkelberger, Conner, and Matt Kozlowski each had two hits for the Lions.

Game two saw Widener plate one run in the top of the first, but Albright responded with three in the bottom half of the inning. Conner, Kulp, and Derek Althouse all delivered RBI singles in the inning. The Pride chipped away at the deficit, scoring once in the third, then taking the lead with a three-run fourth. Tom DeAngelis' two-out, two-run double was the key hit of the inning. Single runs in the fifth and sixth innings put Widener on top 7-3, and the Lions were unable to put any more runs on the scoreboard against Pride starter, who completed the game for his fourth win of the season. Tim Flannery suffered the loss for Albright, falling to 1-4 on the season. Dunkelberger, Conner, and Kulp each had two hits at the plate for the Lions, while DeAngelis led Widener, going 3-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored.

April 1, 2008: The College of New Jersey 7, Albright 5 Box Score

Reading, PA - Albright fell to #6 College of New Jersey 7-5 Tuesday afternoon in Ewing to fall to 7-11 in 2008.  TCNJ improves to 16-2 with the win.  Albright fell behind 6-0 after five innings of play, but got on the scoreboard in the sixth when Jason Dunkelberger's ground ball to second scored Jordan Boyer to make the score 6-1.  TCNJ plated a run in the bottom half of the inning to lead 7-1 heading to the seventh.  Albright put three runs on the board in the seventh, getting back-to-back RBI singles from Casey Lawrence and Boyer and a bases loaded walk from Chad Mackey to pull within three at 7-4.  The Lions picked up another run in the eighth, as Wenrich drew a one-out walk, moved to third on a Lawrence single, and scored on a Boyer ground-out.  Trailing by two heading to the top of the ninth, Jeff Kulp and Mackey led off with singles to put the tying runs on base.  Dunkelberger sacrificed them to second and third, but the Lions couldn't come up with the game-tying hit as TCNJ escaped with its eighth consecutive win.  Derek Althouse took the loss on the mound for Albright, allowing four runs in four innings of work.  Wenrich, Lawrence, Boyer, and Kulp each had two hits at the plate for the Lions.

March 30, 2008: F&M 16, Albright 6 Box Score

Reading, PA - F&M scored seven runs in the second inning and never looked back in taking a 16-6 win over Albright Sunday afternoon on Kelchner Field. The loss drops Albright to 7-10 on the season, while the Diplomats improve to 8-9.

After a scoreless first inning, F&M exploded for seven runs in the second. Albright freshman right-hander Kevin Thomas struggled with his control in the inning, walking three in the inning. Combine that with four hits and a Lion errors and the Diplomats had an early 7-0 lead. Thomas settled down after that, holding F&M scoreless for the next three innings. Albright slowly chipped away at the deficit, starting in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Rob Mancinelli was hit by a pitch and Mike Nolan reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Aaron Kopetsky then delivered an RBI single to score Mancinelli, and Kyle McGee followed with another RBI single to pull Albright within 7-2. The Lions scored another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Chad Mackey. F&M touched Lion reliever Mike Billera-Smith for two runs in the sixth on a two-run home run from Shea Moriarty, then put the game out of reach with five runs in the eighth. Albright scored two in its half of the eighth on a two run single from Kyle Wenrich, and each team scored once in the ninth for the final 16-6 score. Thomas took the loss for Albright to fall to 1-1 on the season, while Mike Duranti picked up the win for the Diplomats. Casey Lawrence was 3-5 at the plate for the Lions, while Kopetsky, McGee, and Wenrich each chipped in with two hits.

March 29, 2008: Messiah 5, Albright 4 (8) Box Score; Messiah 8, Albright 2 Box Score

Grantham, PA - Messiah took both ends of a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader from Albright Saturday afternoon, winning the opener 5-4 in eight innings, then taking game two 8-2.

Messiah (15-7, 2-1) opened the scoring in game one with two runs in the bottom of the second. Two more runs in the fourth gave the host Falcons a 4-0 lead. Albright rallied in the sixth, scoring three times to cut the lead to one, 4-3. Jeff Kulp's RBI double scored Jordan Boyer to get Albright on the board, and one out later Derek Althouse smacked a two-run double to cut Messiah's lead to one. The Lions tied the score in the seventh, as Kyle Wenrich led off with a walk, advanced on a Jason Dunkelberger single, and scored on a Jordan Boyer single to knot the score at 4. Messiah would win the game in the bottom of the eighth, when Ben Kirk's two-out single plated Jordan Zimmerman with the winning run. Tim Flannery suffered the loss on the mound for the Lions, as he allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits in 7 2/3 innings of work. He struck out seven and walked two. Wenrich was 3-3 at the plate to lead the offense.

Game two saw Messiah again jump in front, scoring once in the first and two more times in the fourth to hold a 3-0 lead. Once again Albright would mount a rally in the sixth. Boyer and Kulp singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Two errors in the Messiah infield allowed both runners to score, and the Lions went to the bottom of the sixth trailing by just one, 3-2. Messiah put the game out of reach in its half of the sixth, using a walk, a hit batter, and two bunts misplayed by Albright to score the first run of the inning. The Falcons would add four more in the inning, taking an 8-2 lead into the top of the seventh. Wenrich singled to lead of the seventh for Albright, but was stranded at first as Messiah closed out the sweep. Joe Clark took the loss for Albright on the mound, while Sheldon Witmer picked up the complete game win for Messiah. Boyer and Kulp each had two hits in the game for the Lions.

March 28, 2008: Albright 3, Messiah 1 Box Score

Reading, PA - Jason Dunkelberger and Jordan Boyer each delivered RBI hits in the decisive eighth inning to lead Albright to a 3-1 win over Messiah in the Commonwealth Conference opener for both teams Friday afternoon on Kelchner Field.

Albright starter Casey Lawrence and his Messiah counterpart Dan Kern hooked up in a good old fashioned pitchers dual to start the conference season. Neither allowed a run through the first six innings, and scoring chances were few as well. Messiah (13-7, 0-1) finally broke through in the top of the seventh inning, scoring an unearned run off a throwing error on a double-steal. Lawrence got out of the jam without any more damage, and the Lions (7-7, 1-0) evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Boyer led off with a single, put was forced out at second on a fielders choice from Tim Conner. With two outs and Conner still on first, Chad Mackey appeared to give Albright a 2-1 lead with a home run to left, but the ball was ruled to have bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. Derek Althouse followed with a ground ball to deep short that the Messiah shortstop mishandled, allowing Conner to score the tying run. Albright took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, when Shane Stein led off with a single and moved to second on a Kyle Wenrich sacrifice. Dunkelberger then singled to right to score Stein, and went to second on the throw to the plate. Boyer followed with a double just inside the third base line to plate Dunkelberger to give Albright a 3-1 lead. Boyer took over on the mound for Lawrence in the ninth and, despite allowing a single and a walk, retired the side for his first save of the year. Lawrence improved to 2-1 on the season, allowing just the one unearned run on five hits in eight innings of work. He struck out four and walked one. Kern suffered the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits while also striking out four. Boyer was 2-4 at the plate for Albright, while Ben Kirk went 2-3 for the Falcons.

March 26, 2008: Albright 10, Penn State Berks 8 Box Score

Reading, PA - In a game that saw the lead change hands six times, Albright scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie and held on for a 10-8 win over Penn State Berks Wednesday afternoon on Kelchner Field. Penn State Berks (4-13) opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second when Dan Faith tripled home Josh Tiuchty. Lion starter Derek Althouse avoided further damage by striking out the next three hitters to leave Faith stranded at third. Albright tied the game in the bottom of the second with an unearned run, but the Nittany Lions went right back on top with two in the top of the third. Albright answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, scoring on a throwing error, a sacrifice fly from Chad Mackey, and a two-out RBI double from Matt Kozlowski. Penn State Berks retook the lead in the fourth with two runs, but again Albright had a response in the bottom half of the inning. Kyle Wenrich led off with a double, moved to third on a Jason Dunkelberger single, and scored on a Jordan Boyer ground out. Jeff Kulp would later bring home Dunkelberger with a sac fly to give Albright a 6-5 lead. Penn State Berks tied the game in the fifth, then took an 8-6 lead in the top of the sixth. Dunkelberger came through for the Lions in the bottom half of the frame, drilling a two-run home run to tie the game once again at 8-8. Boyer took the mound for Albright in the seventh and held the Nittany Lions off the scoreboard for the first time since the top of the first. Albright finally took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth, when Shane Stein singled, moved to second on a sacrifice, and scored when the second-baseman misplayed Dunkelberger's ground ball. After Dunkelberger was caught stealing, Boyer hit a solo home run to give Albright some insurance. Boyer set Penn State Berks down in order in the ninth to pick up his first win of the season. In all he threw three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Dunkelberger and Boyer each had a pair of hits for Albright at the plate, while Tiuchty was 3-5 for the Nittany Lions.

March 22, 2008: Edgewood 11, Albright 8 Box Score

Sanford, FL - Albright wasted an early 6-0 lead and fell to Edgewood 11-8 Saturday morning in the final game of its 2008 spring trip. The Lions leave Florida with a 3-6 record for the week and a 5-7 record overall. Albright jumped all over Edgewood in the top of the first inning, batting around while scoring five runs on six hits and an Edgewood error. The Lions added another run in the top of the second when Chad Mackey singled home Kyle Wenrich for the sixth run of the game. Edgewood came back for three runs in the third off Albright starter Shane Stein. An Albright error to start the inning opened the way for the inning, as Edgewood then used three hits to cut the Lion lead in half. Albright increased its lead to 7-2 in the fourth when Wenrich singled to score Justin Danser. Edgewood would score four times in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score at seven. Back to back singles to start the inning chased Stein in favor of Kyle Fleck. The Eagles used a double steal, a hit batter, a single and a sacrifice fly to bring in the four runs and tie the score. Albright answered right back in the top of the sixth, as Jordan Boyer, leading off the inning, drilled an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left field for his first home run of the season to put Albright back on top 8-7. The lead was short, however, as Edgewood scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to take its first lead of the day, 9-8. The Lions were not able to mount another comeback, and Edgewood added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to finish off the 11-8 win. Sophomore Joe Clark suffered the loss in relief of Fleck, allowing three runs, one earned, in one-plus innings of work. Wenrich, Mackey, and Matt Kozlowski each had three hits to lead the Lion attack.

March 21, 2008: Albright 11, St. Joseph's 0 Box Score ; Rowan 16, Albright 4 Box Score

Winter Park, FL - Sophomore Casey Lawrence tossed a six hit shutout and Albright scored 11 times in the first four innings in an 11-0 win over St. Joseph's (LI) Friday morning on the campus of Rollins College. The win evens Albright's record at 5-5.

Albright jumped on St. Joseph's for three runs in the bottom of the first. Kyle Wenrich and Jason Dunkelberger led off with singles, and after an error on a sacrifice loaded the bases, Tim Conner delivered an RBI single to put the Lions on top 1-0. A Jeff Kulp sacrifice fly and a Chad Mackey ground out scored the next two runs of the inning. The Lions added three more runs in the second. Dunkelberger's two-run triple was the big blow of the inning, and he then scored on a Boyer sacrifice fly. Kulp led off the bottom of the fourth with his first career home run to give Albright a 7-0 lead, and the Lions put the game away with a four-run fourth inning. Wenrich led off with a double, and scored on a pinch-hit single from Shawn Walbert. Walbert advanced to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a Boyer single. One out later Kulp doubled to plate Boyer, and Matt Kozlowski capped the inning with an RBI double to score Kulp with Albright's 11th run of the day. That was more than enough support for Lawrence, who only allowed one St. Joseph's runner to reach third base all day. The right hander struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter in recording the second shutout of his career. Kozlowski paced Albright's offensive attack with a 3-4 day, while Kulp was 2-3 with three RBI's.

In the second game of the day, Rowan scored seven runs in the top of the first inning, thanks in large part to four Albright errors. The Lions were never able to get out of that hole, as the Profs (11-3) banged out 21 hits on the night. Rowan led 13-0 before Chad Mackey drilled a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to get the Lions on the scoreboard. Albright got another run in the eighth inning when Jeff Kulp's sacrifice fly scored Shawn Walbert, and then put up two in the bottom of the ninth on Walbert's two-run single. Tim Flannery suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season.

March 18, 2008: Albright 9, Clarkson 5 Box Score ; Clarkson 3, Albright 1 Box Score

Altamonte Springs, FL - Albright split a doubleheader with Clarkson University Tuesday, winning the opener 9-5 before dropping game two 3-1. The Lions are now 4-5 on the season, while the Golden Knights are 5-2.

Albright dug itself a hole early in game one, as the Knights reached Lion lefthander Joe Clark for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lions got one run back in the second when Jeff Kulp's triple scored Tim Conner to cut the deficit to 3-1. Albright broke out in the top of the third, scoring five times to take a 6-3 lead. The Lions sent nine hitters to the plate in the inning, with Kulp's two-run double highlighting five hits in the frame. After the rocky first inning, Clark settled in, holding Clarkson scoreless for the next two innings. Albright tacked on two more runs in the fourth, as Kyle Wenrich and Jordan Boyer delivered RBI singles. Clarkson got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth, but Kyle Fleck came on in relief of Clark and got the Lions out of the jam without any further damage. Albright increased its lead to 9-5 in the fifth, and Fleck shut down the Knights the rest of the way to secure the win. He collected his first career win with 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing four hits while striking out two. Conner was 3-3 for the Lions, while Kulp had two hits and three RBI's.

In game two, Derek Althouse gave the Lions a solid outing on the mound, but Albright couldn't get the offense going. Clarkson took a 1-0 lead in the second, then increased the lead to 2-0 on Matt Holiday's solo home run in the top of the fourth. Albright finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, when Shane Stein led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on a two-out single from Chad Mackey. The Knights answered with a run in the top of the sixth, and Albright was unable to put anything else on the board despite putting runners on base in each of the final two innings. Althouse suffered the loss on the mound despite allowing just three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Mackey was 3-4 with an RBI at the plate for the Lions.

March 17, 2008: SUNY-Plattsburgh 5, Albright 2 Box Score ; Albright 6, SUNY-Plattsburgh 3 Box Score

Altamonte Springs, FL - Albright dropped game one of a double-header with SUNY-Plattsburgh 5-2 Monday morning, but rallied to win game two 6-3 to split for the day. The Lions are now 3-4 on the season, while the Cardinals see the record move to 1-3.

In game one, Plattsburgh plated a run in the bottom of the first against Lion sophomore Shane Stein on a one-out double from Todd Hughes. Albright drew even in the bottom of the third, when leadoff hitter Kyle Wenrich was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored one out later on a Chad Mackey sacrifice fly. Stein settled in, keeping the Cardinals off the scoreboard for the next three innings, and Albright would take the lead in the top of the fifth. With Mackey on third and two outs, Jeff Kulp laced a single to left to give Albright a 2-1 lead. The Lions would load the bases after Kulp's single, but couldn't add any more runs in the inning. Albright's lead was short-lived, however, as Plattsburgh scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead at 3-2. The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the sixth and set the Lions down in order in the seventh to take the 5-2 win. Stein suffered the loss on the mound to fall to1-1 on the season, as he allowed four earned runs in six innings of work.

In the nightcap, Albright took an early lead with three runs in the bottom half of the first. Kyle Wenrich led off with a single, then moved to second on a Jordan Boyer double. Mackey's ground out scored Wenrich, and Tim Conner singled to bring home Boyer. Derek Althouse then delivered a two out double to score Conner all the way from first and give the Lions a 3-0 edge. Freshman Kevin Thomas, making his first career start for the Lions, pitched two scoreless innings before running into some trouble in the third. Zach Welch's triple was the big blow in a three-run Plattsburgh third inning that evened the score at 3-3. Albright answered right back in its half of the third, as Boyer led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Conner single. The Lions increased their lead to 6-3 in the fourth in an RBI single from Boyer and an error by the Cardinals on a double-steal attempt that allowed Wenrich to score from third. Thomas held Plattsburgh scoreless for the fourth and fifth, then gave way to Kevin Butler, who pitched the final two innings for his first save of the season. Thomas picked up his first career win, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Boyer was 3-3 with a pair of runs scored to pace Albright's nine-hit attack.

March 16, 2008: Endicott 7, Albright 6 Box Score ; Endicott 12, Albright 3 Box Score

Sanford, FL - Albright dropped two games to Endicott Sunday afternoon to open its 2008 spring trip in Florida. Endicott rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win the opener 7-6 in game one, the blew open game two with a 10-run sixth inning to win 12-3.

Game one was a pitcher's dual through the first five innings. Albright sophomore Casey Lawrence surrendered a pair of hits in the bottom of the first, but retired the next 10 batters he faced. The Lions put the only run of the first five innings on the board in the top of the second, when senior Tim Conner drilled a long home run to left for a 1-0 Albright lead. Albright broke out in the top of the sixth, scoring five time to take a 6-0 lead. Chad Mackey doubled with one out, and after a Conner ground out, scored on a single from Jeff Kulp. That would be the first of six consecutive two-out singles for the Lions, who sent 10 men to the plate in the inning in putting five runs on the board. Lawrence surrendered a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth, but promptly picked the runner off second base. After a walk and a double, the Lions went to the bullpen, but Endicott kept hitting. Dan Gomez greeted Jason Dunkleberger with a two-run double, and the Cougars would go on to score four more times in the inning to tie the game at 6. Albright failed to score in the next three innings, but sophomore Joe Clark, who came on to get the last out in the sixth, kept Endicott off the board as well until the bottom of the ninth. After a single and a stolen base, Brian Anderson singled to give Endicott the 7-6 win. Clark suffered the loss, his first of the season, despite a solid outing in relief.

Game two was once again a tight, low scoring battle through the first five innings. Lion starter Tim Flannery allowed only one run through five innings, but Endicott's Nick Kelly was one better, holding Albright scoreless through five. After giving up a leadoff double in the top of the sixth, Flannery gave way to Kyle Fleck on the hill, and the wheels fell off for the Lions. Albright committed five errors in the inning, as Endicott piled up 10 runs to take an 11-0 lead. Albright scratched a run across in the sixth and two more in the seventh, but it wasn't nearly enough as Endicott completed the sweep on the day. Flannery took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season, allowing two runs on six hits in five innings while striking out four. At the plate Mackey led Albright with a 2-4 day and an RBI.

March 12, 2008: Albright 2, Moravian 0 Box Score

Reading, PA - Shane Stein and Casey Lawrence combined on a three-hit shutout as Albright defeated Moravian 2-0 in the Lions' home opener on Kelchner Field Wednesday afternoon.  The win is the second straight for Albright (2-1) and snaps a four game winning streak for the Greyhounds (8-3).  Albright got on the board early, as Tim Conner's two-out single in the bottom of the first scored Jason Dunkelberger with the first run of the day.  Albright's only other run came in the seventh inning, when Jeff Kulp led off with a single, stole second, and would eventually score on a Greyhound error.  That was more than enough runs for Stein and Lawrence, who shut down Moravian all afternoon.  Stein started and worked six strong innings, allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out four to pick up his first career win.  Lawrence finished the game with three perfect innings, facing the minimum nine hitters and striking out four for his first save on the year. 

March 11, 2008: Albright 3, Neumann 2 Box Score

Aston, PA - Albright picked up its first win of the 2008 season with a 3-2 victory at Neumann Tuesday afternoon.  The Lions got a strong outing on the mound from junior starter Tim Flannery, who allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings of work to earn the win.  Sophomore Kevin Butler and senior Jordan Boyer combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, with Boyer throwing the final two innings to collect his first career save. Albright came up with some big defensive plays late in the game to preserve the win.  Neumann loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but third baseman Jason Dunkelberger made a nice play on a hard ground ball to start an inning-ending double play.  The final out of the game also came on a great defensive play, as center fielder Shane Stein made a diving catch of a sinking line drive to finish off the win.  The Lions managed just five hits in the game, but took advantage of nine walks to score their three runs.

March 7, 2008: Kean 2, Albright 0 Box Score

Union, NJ - Albright opened its season Friday afternoon at Kean University.  The Lions fell to the defending national champions 2-0 in a game that was halted due to rain in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Albright managed just one hit on the afternoon off winning pitcher Tom Paglione, a Shane Stein single in the top of the third inning.  Sophomore right-hander Casey Lawrence tossed five solid innings for Albright, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings while striking out seven.