CHESTER, Pa. – Behind an all-around performance the Ursinus College baseball team cruised to a 12-5 non-conference victory over Widener University on a chilly Tuesday afternoon.
The Bears lineup totaled 17 hits during the contest including while a six run fifth inning lifted past the Pride. Juniors
Jakob Cantor,
Andrew Richter,
Peter Balos, and sophomore
Shane Beaver each tallied three hits apiece while all nine starters recorded a base knock.
On the mound, junior righty
Mike Scheller recorded his third start of the season and turned in 4.2 innings pitched, five earned runs allowed, and two punchouts. Meanwhile out of the bullpen, seniors
Matt Tuley (2.1 IP, two hits, three strikeouts, zero earned runs) and
Ian Conroy (2.0 IP, zero earned runs, zero hits) shut the doors down and closed out the contest for the Bears.
The Bears struck during the opening frame as junior
Jordan Williams reached base via a hit-by-pitch and later advanced to third on a single from Cantor. With one out, junior
Jude Gilhool recorded an RBI groundout to score Williams, while a single from Richter allowed Cantor to score. The Pride cut their deficit to 2-1 in the second inning as a free pass and back-to-back singles brought their first run across the plate. With two runners on base, Scheller escaped the jam by recording a fly out and strikeout to end the frame.
Widener took their first lead of the contest in the bottom of the frame after scoring three runs to gain a 4-2 advantage. With two outs and two runners on base, Widener's Ryan Weaver connected on a three-run homerun to give the Pride the lead. Ursinus nearly answered in the fourth inning as the Bears loaded the bases with just one out but would come away empty. Beaver and Balos led off the frame with back-to-back singles before sophomore
George Nestor advanced both runners into scoring position via a groundout. Next, first-year
Barritt Ross drew a free pass, but a fielders' choice and groundout ended the Bears threat.
Ursinus responded in the fifth frame, scoring six runs off five base hits to regain an 8-4 lead. Trailing 4-3 with two runners in scoring position, Balos, Nestor, Ross, and Kelley tallied four consecutive base hits to break the contest open. Widener responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame, but each team would be held off the scoreboard as the game entered the eighth with Ursinus leading 8-5.
In the top of the eighth inning, Richter led off with a double down the right field line before Beaver recorded an RBI with a single to right. Conroy relieved Tuley on the mound in the bottom half of the inning and tallied three consecutive groundouts to bring the contest into the final frame.
The Bears put their final touch on the game in the ninth as with two outs and two runners on base, Richter collected his third base hit of the game to score two runs and give Ursinus a 12-5 lead. With the count at 3-2, Richter ripped a triple in the right centerfield gap to plate two runs and collected his fourth RBI of the contest. Conroy closed out the Pride in the ninth by retiring the side in order for his second consecutive clean sheet.
The Bears return to action on Sunday, March 24th as they host Rutgers-Camden for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 11:30 a.m. from Thomas Field.
