VERO BEACH, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a doubleheader with Alvernia University on Monday afternoon in Vero Beach, Florida. Alvernia won the first game of the twinbill, 6-1, while Bridgewater earned a split with a 4-1 decision in game two.
Bridgewater's record now stands at 3-2, while Alvernia is 2-4-1.
Kenny Pennini (Millis, Mass.) went the distance in his debut for the Bears in game two of the twinbill. Pennini (1-0) scattered six hits, walked just one and struck out four.
Bridgewater would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After singles by Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) and Sean Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.) put runners on first and second, Keane Costa (Fairhaven, Mass.) roped a big two-out, two-run double. Costa would come around to score on a James Gilmore (Mansfield, Mass.) RBI single.
The Bears would tack on a run in the fifth as Riley singled with one out, stole second and scored on a base hit by Ian Williams (Taunton, Mass.).
Riley and Williams would finish with two hits apiece to lead the Bears' eight-hit attack.
Aaron Benusis (Bristol, Conn.) shut down the Bears in the opener as he tossed six innings of shutout ball. Benusis (1-0) scattered five hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) homered for the Crusaders and went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Chris Ray (Exton, Pa.) and Dustin Stuck (Palmyra, Pa.) added two hits apiece. Ray finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Stuck reached safely in three at bats with two hits and a walk. He scored two runs and drove in one.
Bryant Warner (Harwich, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for the Bears in the loss. Warner (1-0) allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Ian Williams (Taunton, Mass.) singled twice, was hit by a pitch and scored a run to lead Bridgewater State. Jose Polanco (Lawrence, Mass.) drove in Williams with the Bears' only run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the seventh.
Statistics from the second game were not available.