WILKES BARRE (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University baseball team built an early lead and cruised to its third straight victory with a 13-5 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom triumph at Wilkes University.

With the win, the Aggies matched their total victories all of last season and surpassed the number of MAC Freedom wins as they sit at 11-19 overall and 6-10. The Colonels fell to 12-17 and also sit at 6-10 in conference.

In the top of the first, Tom Crooks got a rally started for DelVal when he reached on an error by the shortstop. After a Troy Lachenmayer single, Ryan Schuetrumpf laced a double to right that scored Crooks and made it 1-0. An error plated Lachenmayer and Cody Brown drove in Schuetrumpf with an RBI single to give the Aggies a three run lead after one half inning.

Lachenmayer got the start on the bump for DelVal and did not allow a single baserunner through four innings. Wilkes got its first hit of the game with a lead off bunt single by Vinny Bobbin. The Colonels finished the frame with one run on two hits to close the gap to 3-1.

The Aggies answered in the next half inning with back-to-back singles from Brown and Josh Adamski to start the frame. Kevin Johnson moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt and Crooks drove them in with a single and an error to make extend the lead to 5-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, Wilkes loaded the bases with nobody out and a sacrifice fly by Matt Reinert made it 5-2. The Colonels loaded the bases again with a walk, but Lachenmayer stopped the bleeding with a ground out and a strikeout to maintain the three run differential.

In the top of the seventh, Schuetrumpf worked a leadoff walk and Luke Hendricks doubled to put runners at second and third for Brown who delivered again. He sent a single through the left side and Wilkes committed an error to score both runners. Joey Lodato picked up an RBI with an infield single later in the frame to make it, 8-2.

Wilkes got two back in the bottom of the seventh with a bases loaded single by Jack Hines that plated two and made it 8-4 going into the eighth.

After a scoreless eighth, DelVal tacked on five more runs in the ninth for a commanding 13-2 lead. Four different players picked up an RBI including Shuetrumpf who launched a two-run homer out to left field.

The Colonels scored one in the bottom of the ninth on two hits and two errors, but the Aggies shut the door on the 13-3 final.

The DelVal offense exploded for 17 hits in the game as all nine starters registered a base knock, and five recorded multiple hits. Schuetrumpf finished 3-for-5 with a walk, three RBIs, and three runs scored and Lachenmayer scored twice and drove in one with three hits. Brown was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs and Crooks had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

Lachenmayer improved to 3-2 and went 6.1 innings with four earned runs allowed on four hits and seven walks with four punch outs. James Eldridge finished the game with no earned runs surrendered and three hits, three walks allowed.

The Colonels registered seven hits led by a 2-for-2 effort by Hines with two runs driven in. Charles Giacometti worked three walks and went 1-for-2 with a run scored.  Tony Molitoris pitched five innings in the loss with one earned run allowed on eight hits and four strike outs.

The two teams will conclude the season series with a doubleheader in Doylestown tomorrow at 12 p.m.