LATE INNING ERRORS ADVANCES DESALES OVER KING'S 9-8 IN FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATION GAME
QUAKERTOWN, PA -- Down 8-7 heading to the bottom of the ninth, second seeded DeSales University scored two runs in their final at-bats to steal a 9-8 win over fourth seeded King's College in the first elimination game of the 2011 Freedom Conference Championship tournament Saturday afternoon at Memorial Park.
With the loss King's sees its season end at 16-19-1. DeSales improves to 20-17 and will play the loser of the FDU-Florham and Misericordia contest tonight at 7:00 p.m.
With King's holding an 8-7 lead, Misericordia's Robbie Wentz led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to the right center field gap. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Wentz tied the game when he trotted home when Jack Kavetski reached on an error.With Kavetski running on the pitch, Brian Mauro's fourth hit of the game was mishandled in right field and Kavetski ran through a stop sign at third base to score the game-winning run.
King's took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Joey Troxell led off with a single and came home on Chris Sweeney's 13th home run of the year. It marked the third time the sophomore went deep in the tournament.
DeSales tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the frame when Brian Mauro blooped a one-out single to left center and Doc Neimann lined an opposite field home run to right field.
The Monarchs then took a 3-2 lead with a run in the second. Anthony Re grounded a one-out single through the middle and moved to third on Rob Lemoncelli's single over shortstop. Re came home when Sweeney reached on an error.
King's added to their lead at 4-2 in the third when Brenton Eades drew a lead-off walk and moved up on Rich Aciedo's squibber to first base before coming home on Matt Pritchard's soft liner inside the left line.
DeSales put two runners on in the bottom of the third with two runners on but Lemoncelli made a nice play on a slow roller to shortstop to end the threat.
The Bulldogs tied it completed the combeack in the bottom of the fifth. Scerbo led off with a single through the right side, stole second and moved to third on Kavetski's single to right. After Mauro and Neimann both lined RBI-singles to tie the score, Lemonelli cut the go-ahead run down at the plate and a fly out ended the inning.
DeSales took their first lead of the game at 7-4 with a three-run sixth inning. Moser lined single past a diving third baseman and pinch-runner Ronnie Wentz moved to third on Zucchi's single inside the right field line. Scerbo reached on a bunt single to load the bases.
After Kavetski reached on a fielder's choice where Lemoncelli forced another runner out at home, Zucchi scored when Mauro's comebacker was misplayed and Scerbo raced home on a wild throw to first. Jason Hadinger followed with an RBI-single to left.
In the top of the seventh, Sweeney led off with an infield single and moved to second when Lemoncelli was out on a Baltimore-chopper to second. Brenton Eades walked and Rich Acierno singled to left to load the bases. Tim Marchetti forced in a run with a walk and Pritchard plated another with a fielder's choice to get King's within 7-6.
The Monarchs tied it the top of the eighth when Sweeney ripped a two-out double off the wall in left center and hustled home when Mike Fignar's towering pop-up fell untouched between third base and home.
King's then took an 8-7 lead in the top of ninth when Rich Acierno lined a full-count pitch over the right field wall to lead-off the inning.
Acierno paced King's with four hits, including a go-ahead solo homer in the top of the ninth. Sweeney had three hits, including a double and a homer. Joey Troxell posted three hits.
Neiman had two hits and three RBI for the Bulldogs and Chris Zucchi and Scerbo both added two hits.
Travis Hughes earned the win with one scoreless inning in relief of David Drinks and Dan Gayeski.
On the mound for King's, Levi Tate started and went four innings allowing four runs on eight hits. Eades entered in relief going four and two thirds innings allowing five runs on seven hits to record the loss.
