APRIL 9, 2009
KING'S BASBEALL DROPS OPENER TO WILKES
WILKES-BARRE – The King's College baseball team fell short in both games of a doubleheader to cross-town rival Wilkes University in a home-and-away series Thursday in Wilkes-Barre.
Wilkes won the first game 23-6 at King's Lipo Field, then posted a 10-3 triumph at home at Artillery Park. With the losses, King's stands at 17-10 overall and 6-5 in Freedom Conference play. Wilkes improved to 20-5 and 6-1 in league play.
In the opener, Wilkes posted 23 hits and took advantage of 13 bases-on-balls issued by King's pitchers. Wilkes took a 7-0 lead after the first inning, then added three more runs an inning later to stretch the advantage to 10-0. After King's cut the lead to 10-6 after four innings, Wilkes put the game away with three runs in the fifth, five more in the sixth, and three in the seventh to build a 21-6 lead.
Geoff Miller led the Colonels by going 4-for-5 with five runs and five RBI. Shane Keister was 3-for-4 with five RBI while Al Clocker was 22-for-3 with five RBI. Matt Ruch finished 3-for-3 with two RBI while Mike McAndrews was 3-for-7 with two runs scored. Mark Seibel picked up the pitching victory in relief of starter Justin Huff. Seibel tossed three complete innings, allowing one run on three hits. Huff went three innings, yielding five runs, four earned, on seven hits.
For King's, the Monarchs posted 11 base hits, led by Jim Troianiello who was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Gracjan Kraszewski was 2-for-3 with two runs while Rob Fravel went 2-for-4. King's senior third-baseman Jon Venarchick saw his 15-game hitting streak come to an end by going 0-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI. King's starting pitcher Ryan Derry (6-2) was the loser, allowing seven earned runs on five hits with two walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Four King's pitchers combined to give up 15 free bases, walking 13 Wilkes batters and hitting two more.
In game-two, King's managed 13 hits but stranded 10 runners. Troianiello was 3-for-4 in the game while Unger finished 2-for-4 with a two-run home run. Kraszewski was 2-for-5 with two runs and a solo home run. Fravel and Matt Feci were both 2-for-4 while Venarchick and Eric Matula added one hit each. Starting pitcher Tommy Rozelle took the loss, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits.
Matt Ruch led Wilkes by going 3-for-5 with five RBI while Trevin Jaggars was 3-for-3 and scored three runs.
King's returns to action Monday with a 3:30 p.m. contest at Misericordia University in Dallas.
