MARCH 7, 2010
KING'S BASEBALL OPENS 2010 WITH DRAMATIC SWEEP OF ST. BENEDICTINE
WINTER HAVEN, FLA -- The King's College baseball team opened the 2010 season in dramatic fashion as the Monarchs made good on their final at-bats in both games to pull out a thrilling doubleheader sweep of Benedictine (Ill.) University Sunday in Winter Haven, Fla.
King's won the first game 14-13 before capturing the nightcap 13-12.
In the opener, the game was tied 13-13 in the top of the seventh inning when Sean Rooney singled and pinch runner Mike Santiago eventually scored from third-base on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mike Kusters.
Rooney led the King's offense by going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, a double, and a two-run home run. Matt Unger was 4-for-5 with one run and two RBI while Rob Lemoncelli finished 3-for-4 with two runs. Chris Sweeney was 2-for-5 with two RBI while both Brian Mikus and Joey Troxell were 2-for-4. Dan Jenkins was the winning pitcher for King's in relief of starter Eric Matula. Jenkins pitched two innings and allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Matula tossed five innings and allowed five earned runs.
In the nightcap, King's came to bat in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied at 12-12. After Rooney reached base on a double, pinch runner Pat Harsch moved to third on an infield out. Lemoncelli would then drive in Harsch with the winning run with an RBI single to give the Monarchs the victory.
Rooney was 2-for-4 with three runs and a double while Mikus was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Troxell went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Kusters was 1-for-2 with two RBI. Unger chipped in by going 1-dor-2 with a RBI. Richie Pruzinski was the winning pitcher for King's going the final one and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Monarch starter Brenton Eades lasted three and one-third innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits while Jeremy Bonser tossed one and two-thirds of relief, yielding three runs on four hits.
King's resumes play Monday with a 9:00 a.m. doubleheader again Pitt-Greensburg.
