WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Junior Matt Colucci and freshman Aidan Bauer combined on a four-hit shutout and the Drew University baseball team defeated host Wilkes University 3-0 in the second game of its Landmark Conference-opening doubleheader on Saturday.
 
Wilkes, competing in its first season in the Landmark Conference, won the opener 11-5.
 
The Rangers and Colonels were meeting as conference opponents in baseball for the first time since March of 2007, when the two sides were members of the MAC Freedom Conference.
 
Senior Nate Miller went 3-for-4 in the second game for the Rangers (7-4, 1-1 LC) while classmate Anthony Diaz Jr. went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Senior Anthony Hernandez also ripped a pair of hits.
 
Colucci (2-0) tossed seven innings, allowing just three hits and one walk, before Bauer came on to record the last six outs en route to his first career save.
 
In the nightcap, Diaz provided the Rangers with all the run support they would need in the top of the first. He led off with a single, was bunted to second by junior Raiden Yost, and scored on a single from Miller.
 
Neither side would score again until the eighth inning, when Drew pushed across two runs on three hits and two errors. Diaz got things started again with a leadoff double and eventually scored on an error.
 
In the meantime, Wilkes put a runner on base in each of the first six innings but were unable to dent Colucci. He was the beneficiary of some big plays behind him, including a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play that erased a leadoff single in the bottom of the third in which junior Mike Gallaro gunned down the base stealer at second. One inning later, Hernandez pegged a runner at third attempting to advance on a flyout to center to empty the bases with two outs.
 
The Colonels continued to threaten in the latter innings and had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth versus Bauer. However, that's when Yost turned Drew's third double play of the game, hauling in a fly ball and picking off a runner heading back to second to end the inning.
 
In the opener, Wilkes broke open a 1-1 game with a five-run fourth. The Rangers pulled to within 5-3 in the top of the sixth, which included an RBI-double from Miller, but the Colonels answered with two in the bottom half to push their restore their five-run advantage (8-3). Drew scored its final two runs in the top of the eighth but Wilkes responded again, this time with three in the bottom half to set the final score.

Freshman Justin Bonito started on the mound in the opener and pitched 3 2/3 innings, as did freshman reliever Tyler Bell. Senor TJ Shuman recorded the final two outs.
 
The two teams conclude their season series with a single nine-inning game back at Wilkes on Sunday starting at noon.