MAY 2, 2010
KING'S BASEBALL TEAM WRAPS UP REGULAR-SEASON WITH SWEEP OF PENN STATE WILKES-BARRE
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College baseball team prepped for this week's Freedom Conference Tournament as the Monarchs wrapped up the regular-season with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Wilkes-Barre Penn State Sunday at Lipo Field in the Betzler Athletic Complex.
King's won the first game 22-3, before rallying to take the nightcap 10-9 in eight innings. With the win, the Monarchs improved to 23-14.
In the opener, the teams were tied 3-3 after three innings before the Monarchs exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning and 10 more in the sixth to walk away with the victory.
King's pounded out 17 hits in the contest, led by Mike Kusters, who was 4-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, including three doubles. Pat Harsch went 2-for-2 with three runs, a double and a triple. Chris Sweeney finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI while Rob Lemoncelli was also 2-for-3 with a run. Mike Fignar contributed by going 1-for-1 with a double and three RBI.
Pat Mathhews (3-0) was the winning pitcher for King's, allowing three runs on five hits with five strikeouts in six complete innings. Peter Fanning pitched the seventh and struck out all three batters.
In the nightcap, Penn State Wilkes-Barre built a 9-2 lead after five innings but the Monarchs battled back. King's scored three in the sixth with the big blow a towering two-run home run from Brian Mikus to cut the lead to 9-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jeremy Bonser led off with as walk and pinch runner Mike Santiago scored when Sweeney stroked a double. Mikus came through with a RBI single before Kuster smacked a critical triple to bring the Monarchs to within 9-8 with only one out. Rob Fravel then knotted the game at 9-9 when he lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Kusters from third to send the game into extra-innings.
After the Monarchs sat down the Lions in order, Joey Troxell led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and promptly stole second base. Fingar the advanced Troxell to third with an infield ground out to second. Matt Unger would enter the game to pinch hit for King's and Penn State Wilkes-Barre first-year head coach Sean elected to intentionally walk the Monarchs' best hitter. The move backfired as the first pitch by Lion reliever Tom Perry sailed high over the head of Lion catcher Corey Timek, allowing Troxell to easily score from third to put a sudden end to the contest.
Kusters led King's by going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, including a second inning solo home run. Mikus was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Levi Tate was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Richie Pruzinsky. Tate allowed three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts in four innings of work.
Penn State Wilkes Barre was paced by Perry who went 4-for-4 with three runs and a RBI. Mike Kempinski was 2-for-3 with three RBI while Timek was 2-for-3 with three runs. Pete Kelly also had two hits for the Lions. Perry took the loss in relief, allowing two runs in one inning of work.
King's will return to action Wednesday when the fourth-seeded Monarchs travel to Center Valley to face top-seeded DeSales University in the opening round of the Freedom Conference Tournament. The official game time will be announced Monday by the MAC Office.
