APRIL 6, 2018

KING'S BASEBALL FALLS TO WILKES 7-6 ON WALKOFF HR

EDWARDSVILLE -- Nicholas Cappozi hit a walk-off solo home run to lead off the bottom-of-the-ninth inning as the host Wilkes University baseball team posted a 7-6 victory over King's College on the first of a three-game series Friday at Artillery Park.

With the win Wilkes improved to 8-10 overall and 4-3 in MAC Freedom Conference play while King's slipped to 8-9 and 3-4.

Wilkes took a 2-0 first inning lad before the Monarchs pushed across four in the fourth. Sean Padden led off with a single and moved to third on a double by Sean McKee. After Dan Hartson drove in a run with an infield out, Christian Pack followed with a RBI sing;e to tie the game at 2-2. Chris Rebar then stroked a two-run-home run to put the Monarchs on top 4-2.

Wilkes countered with four runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-4 lead.  But King's added a run in the seventh when Rebar walked and scored on a double by Kyle Lupas to trim the score to 6-5. The Monarchs added a run in the eighth when Sean Padden belted a solo home run to tie the game at 6-6.

In the ninth, the Monarchs threatened when Pack singled, moved to second on an infield out, then advanced to third on a one-out wild pitch. But the Monarchs were unable to push across the go-ahead run, setting up Capozzi's game winner in the bottom of the frame.

Lupas paced King's with a 3-for-5 showing while Pack and Padden had two hits each..The teams will conclude their series Saturday with a 1:00 PM doubleheader at King's Lipo Field.