HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 27, 2021) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team hit five total home runs including a pair of grand slams to earn a pair of victories over Wilkes University Saturday, winning game one 16-6 and game two 5-3.

Gannon Kenney-McGowan and Johnny Albrecht both hit bombs with the bases loaded to help the Ducks move to 9-3 overall on the year and into a tie for second place in the MAC Freedom standings with Arcadia University.

Offensively, Stevens had seven different student-athletes who had at least one multi-hit game on the day, led by Chris Silos who turned in a 5 for 8 effort with four RBIs and four runs scored.

On the hill, meanwhile, the Ducks bullpen combined to allow just two runs on three hits over 5.2 innings of work with seven strikeouts. Roy Iversen was also extremely efficient as a starter in game two, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out four with just one walk in 6.1 innings to pick up the win.

Nate Zuckerman got things going for Stevens in the first game as he blasted a 1-1 fastball over the right center field wall in the bottom of the first to give the Ducks an early lead they would not relinquish.

A few batters later, Ryan Wall brought home another run with an RBI single to right to bring home Thomas Paulich who singled to center earlier in the inning.

Brett Mendez tacked on another run for Stevens one inning later with an RBI single right back through the box to plate Silos and make it 3-0.

The Colonels were able to claw back into it in the third with a pair of runs on a bases loaded walk and an RBI fielder's choice, but Chandler Briereley limited the damage with a strikeout to end the frame.

The Ducks responded with a big inning in the third as Kenney-McGowan ripped a bases-clearing double down the left field line with the bases juiced to push the lead to 6-2.

Two batters later, Silos was able to bring Kenney-McGowan around to score on an RBI single up the middle and came around to score on an RBI groundout from Zuckerman.

Brierley found himself in a bit of hot water again in the top of the fourth as Wilkes got back to within three on an RBI double and a two-RBI single to make it 8-5. Once again, though, the graduate student escaped further damage with a punchout to end the frame.

Brierley was able to pick up the win after throwing 4.0 innings and allowing five runs on four his and striking out eight and walking five.

Stevens got two of those runs back in the bottom half of the fourth after Silos delivered a two-RBI ground rule double into left field to bring home Kenney-McGowan and Wall.

Eli Zuckerman took over on the hill for Brierley and gave up a run on one hit in his 1.1 innings of work before handing the ball to Axel Johnson.

Leading 10-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Kenney-McGowan ensured no comeback would be made as he produced his second extra base hit of the game in grand fashion, ripping the first pitch he saw into the bullpen over the left field fence with the bases loaded. The grand slam brought Kenney-McGowan's RBI total to seven in the game, just one shy of the school record set back in 1959 and 2001.

The homers didn't stop there, however, as Paulich got into the action with his second big fly of the season into right field. Christian Kreiser then made it a 10-run lead with an RBI single to right center four batters later.

Tyler Armstrong then came on in relief in the seventh and did not surrender a hit to help the Ducks win 16-6.

While Paulich led the way with four hits in the game, Albrecht, Wall, Kenney-McGowan, Kreiser and Silos all had at least two hits in the victory.

The Colonels took their first lead of the day in the top of the first inning in game two with an RBI single off the bat of Nick Pronti. Iversen did a good job of limiting the damage, though, as he got a groundout and a strikeout to end the frame with just a 1-0 deficit.

Stevens got the run back and then some in the third as Silos singled, Mendez singled and Zuckerman walked to load the bases with two outs. Albrecht then stepped to the plate and uncorked a 0-1 pitch into center field for his third bomb of the year.

Pronti, who went 3 for 7 with five RBI on the day, led things off in the top of the fourth with a no-doubt homer to right to make the score 4-2.

In the bottom half, Silos answered Pronti's bomb with one of his own out to center field to swell the lead back to three at 5-2.

The score remained the same until the eighth, but Wilkes threatened beforehand as they put runners on first and second with one away. The Ducks decided to call upon Alex Smith out of the bullpen who got two huge back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the lead.

In the eighth, the Colonels were able to make the score 5-3 on an RBI single to center but could not add any more as closer Anthony Pron came in and struck out a batter looking to end the scoring threat.

The ninth was not without drama as Pron walked two batters and hit another to load the bases with two outs. The sophomore did not falter, though, as he struck out Bayo swinging to complete the save and clinch the doubleheader sweep.

Mendez was the lone Duck to have a multi-hit game in the second contest as he went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the victory.

The second half of the doubleheader with Wilkes will take place Monday, March 29, as poor weather conditions have force the postponement of the game by one day. Live stats and video will be available on StevensDucks.com.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise