(vs. Alvernia) / (vs. Messiah)

Widener avoided elimination twice and advanced to the Commonwealth Conference final round with a 5-4 win over Messiah following a 5-3 victory over Alvernia in West Lawn, PA.

Widener will meet Elizabethtown, the defending Commonwealth Conference champions, in the conference final for the third time in four years.

Widener began its day eradicating a 3-0 deficit against previously unbeaten Alvernia pitcher Shane Zellers with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Junior Alex Oliver (Lebanon, NJ) got the Pride on the board with a bases-loaded walk and sophomore Sean Saverio (Horsham, PA) cleared the bases with a three-run double.

The Pride added a key insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from senior Colin Keelan (Ellicott City, MD) for a 5-3 lead.  Sophomore Rick Kazigian (West Chester, PA) retired the side in order in the ninth to keep Widener in the tournament.

Kazigian (4-2) pitched great for his fourth straight victory and second complete game of the year.  He permitted three runs and seven hits over nine innings with four strikeouts and three walks.  Keelan ended with two hits.

Zellers was tagged for five runs – four earned – and six hits over 7 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and five walks.

In its second game of the day, Widener took a 2-0 lead over Messiah in the bottom of the second when senior Mike Villari (Holland, PA) drove a two-out, two-run single to center.  The Pride (23-11) tacked on a run in the third on another clutch, two-out RBI single by senior Tom Connelly (Media, PA), and Saverio made it 4-0 in the sixth with a solo home run to right.

The Falcons refused to go away, however.  They began the top of the seventh with three consecutive singles.  Ryan Brown followed with a walk to get Messiah on the board and the Falcons added two more runs in the inning to make it 4-3, without registering another hit.

Widener got an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on yet another two-out RBI single by Connelly, taking a 5-3 lead into the final frame.

After two singles and a sacrifice bunt, the Falcons put the tying runs in scoring position with one out.  John Brubaker singled to cut the deficit to 5-4, but senior Alex Gelegotis (Harleysville, PA) got Wes Hollenbach to ground into a game-ending double play.

Junior Kevin Culbert (Brookhaven, PA) allowed just two earned runs over six innings to improve to 4-1.  Gelegotis recorded his second save of the season.  Connelly had three hits for the Pride (23-11), and Saverio finished with two hits and two runs scored.

John Brubaker finished with two hits and two RBI for the Falcons (22-18).

Widener on Saturday plays Elizabethtown at 12:00 pm.  If it wins, it will play Elizabethtown again at 3:00 pm for the title