READING, Pa. - Hood College fell at first-place Alvernia in a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth baseball contest, 13-1.

Dylan Johnson (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) reached base three times, with two hits and a walk. Josh Gall (Odenton, Md. / Arundel) singled and walked. Andrew Catone (Jacksonville, Fla. / Stanton College Prep) pitched a hitless 1.1 innings. Josh Matthews (Huntingtown, Md. / Huntingtown) tossed a shutout ninth inning. 

After the Crusaders scored in the bottom of the first, Hood tied the game in the top of the second. Wayne Baldwin (Mount Airy, Md. / Chapelgate Christian Academy) singled with one out and scored on a two-out base hit by Tyler Cook (Selinsgrove, Pa. / Selinsgrove). 

Alvernia scored three runs in the bottom of the second to reclaim the lead. In the bottom of the third, back-to-back RBI doubles by Ben Dubas and Matt Briner made it 6-1. Leading 9-1 in the sixth, Mike Cunningham tripled in a run, then scored as part of a four-run inning.

James Bertolotti went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two doubles. Cunningham scored three times and drove in two.

Matt Backlund went seven innings and scattered eight hits to pick up the win. He struck out three and walked two. Tim Carfrey finished the game with two scoreless innings.

Travis Schweizer (Chesapeake, Va. / Grassfield) took the loss.

The two teams square off in a doubleheader hosted by Hood on Sunday, Apr. 10 at noon.