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ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — Tyler Weary and Brian Verdelli each drove in two runs to help the Elizabethtown College baseball team down Albright 7-2 Friday afternoon in the first of a three-game Commonwealth Conference weekend series between the two schools. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak and bumped the Blue Jays record to 8-3 at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium.

Albright's first of eight hits came four batters into the game as Tom Canuso singled back up the middle to score Max Dundore in the top of the first. The Blue Jays (16-13, 6-4 CC) did not take kindly to being put in an early hole, so they went out and snagged two runs themselves in the bottom of the inning.

Kyle Gable started off the game right for E-town, also singling up the middle. The junior would go no further, though, as he was picked off at first base by Lions' starter Matt Rehrig. The onus to get back on track would fall to the guys below him and they were ready to go. Tim Rosser walked and Dillon Tagle ripped a two-out single to right. Matt Reade and Verdelli kept the hit parade going with singles that scored Rosser and Tagle.

Two outs into the fourth, E-town got its offense going again. Freshman Ryan Haggerty doubled to the wall in left and Weary sent a ball up the middle that found its way past Albright's (10-19, 3-7 CC) middle infielders. Haggerty scored on Weary's single, and Weary did the rest to score his 18th run of the season. The rookie from Gardners stole second, before tearing towards third.

Albright catcher Dylan Boll threw the ball into left field on Weary's attempt to take third and that allowed the E-town No. 9 hitter to trot in for a 4-1 lead. Weary's two stolen bases in the game brought his team-high total to 17.

Taras Letnaunchyn, who got the ball for the Jays Friday afternoon, wouldn't require any more support. Letnaunchyn pitched six strong innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs for his sixth win of the year (6-1). He walked two and struck out four, but was impressive in keeping Albright's baserunners to a minimum.

The Lions got single hits against E-town's first-year player in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings. Letnaunchyn got third baseman John Medvecky to swing through a 1-2 pitch for the last out of the sixth.

E-town slowly widened its lead with runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. Verdelli picked up his second RBI of the game with a sac fly in the fifth. Steve Motika's hard shot off Rehrig's glove bounced into center field to score Rosser in the seventh and Weary hit a sac fly to center in the eighth.

Rehrig absorbed his fourth loss of the year (3-4) after the Blue Jays got to him for 10 hits and six runs —four earned— in 6.1 innings.

Weary, Motika and Tagle all finished with two hits for the Blue Jays. Rosser, starting his fifth game of the season, scored three runs and walked three times. Matt Ruth was outstanding in relief of Letnaunchyn, giving up just one hit over the final three innings for his second career save.

The Blue Jays go for the series win tomorrow afternoon at Albright. Game one of the doubleheader in Reading begins at noon.