MONTCLAIR, NJ (March 29, 2019) – Kyle Friebolin pitched four strong innings and Sean McKee knocked in four runs including the game-winning run in the 11th inning to lead the King's College baseball team to an exciting come-from-behind 10-9 victory over FDU-Florham on Friday night from Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair, NJ.

The Monarchs overcame a season high five errors with another strong offensive performance. King's racked up 17 hits for the second straight game and stole a season high seven bases. McKee and Dan Hartson continued their dominance of Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) opponents with three hits each. Hartson is now hitting an outstanding .571 in conference games while McKee is batting .360 with 11 runs batted in (RBI).

King's (7-10, 4-3 MAC Freedom) got on the board first as Matt Dobeck led off the game with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a Hartson single to left center. The Monarchs made it 2-0 in the second inning when Friebolin roped a leadoff single to center and then McKee knocked him in three batters later with a two-out single through the left side.

The Devils (7-11, 1-6 MAC Freedom) responded in the bottom of the inning with a run on a pair of singles. Joe Moskowitz knocked a two-out single into right field to score Kevin Smiegocki from second base. The Devils loaded the bases before Matt Mellinger struck out Matt Nodoro to end the inning.

Friebolin led off a big fourth inning for the Monarchs with an infield single to the hole at short. Tyler Reynolds hit a hard single to left before Seth Laky laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. McKee delivered a single up the middle to score the runs and increase the lead to 4-1. Dobeck hit a single up the middle that the second baseman kept in the infield after McKee stole second. Dobeck followed that up with a steal before Pack knocked in the runners with a single to the gap in right center.

FDU-Florham came right back in the bottom half of the inning scoring three runs on four hits and an error to cut the lead to two runs. Nodoro had the big hit in the inning as his two-out single to right center scored two runs. The Devils put runners on the corners with two out in the fifth, but Alex Bruneio was able to get out of the inning with a beautiful pickoff move to get the runner at first.

In the sixth, Shane Beyer reached on an error by the third baseman with one out and then advanced to second as the left fielder's throw went high of second base and down the right-field line. After Dobeck moved him over to third on a groundball to the right side, he scored as a groundball to shortstop was booted by the Devil defender. In the bottom half, the Devils began the inning with a walk and a single to right putting runners at the corners. Nodoro came up with another big hit as the sophomore knocked in a run with a double to right. Two batters later Tyler McCulloch knocked in another run with a ball up the middle that Pack was able to grab but unable to make a play at any base on.

The hosts then took their first lead of the game in the seventh as they scored three runs on four hits and two errors. Nodoro gave the Devils the lead with a one-out single to left that scored two unearned runs. After a walk, McCulloch made it 9-7 with another RBI on an infield single.

The Monarchs came right back in the top of the eighth to tie the score. Beyer and Dobeck reached on back-to-back hard hits right at the third baseman that were scored as errors. Jonathan Hoyt loaded the bases with a single through the left side and two batters later Mellinger came up with a two-out single to right center to score two runs and even the score at nine.

FDU-Florham began the eighth with a walk and a hit-by-pitch to put runners at first and second. Friebolin, who started the game at first base, came into pitch while Mellinger, the starting pitcher who had been the designated hitter after being relieved in the fourth, went to first base. Friebolin got out of the jam with no runs scored including a big strikeout to end the inning with the bases loaded. He struck out two batters in the ninth to send the game into extras.

King's had a great chance to score in the 10th after Hoyt singled up the middle and Hartson singled to right with one out. Hartson stole second but the Monarchs were unable to knock in either run as Joseph DeFeo got out of the inning with two strikeouts. Friebolin continued his strong pitching in the bottom half allowing just a single to the hole at second base with the ball never leaving the infield.

The Monarchs got to DeFeo in the 11th as Laky and McKee hit back-to-back doubles. Laky laced a double down the left field line before being pinch ran for by Andrew Roth. McKee then came up with his big hit to score Roth. In the bottom of the inning, Friebolin recorded a groundout to second, a strikeout, and another groundout to second to preserve the victory.

Friebolin faced 14 hitters and only one ball left the infield as he recorded seven groundouts and four strikeouts while allowing just the infield single in the 10th. The only ball that left the infield was a flyout to right for the second out of the eighth. The junior also had a good day at the plate recording two hits and scoring two runs. His hits started the run scoring-innings in the second and fourth.

Dobeck had two hits and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot while Hoyt, and Reynolds added two hits each. Eight of the nine starters had a hit while Dobeck, Hartson, and McKee stole two bases each.

Mellinger pitched three innings allowing one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout before Bruneio took over in the fourth. Jacob Lupas and Aaron Polon also pitched for the Monarchs. Only six of the nine runs the Monarchs allowed were earned runs.

The Monarchs and Devils will conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader at Lipo Field on Saturday afternoon. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 pm in Wilkes-Barre.