AUBURNDALE, FL (March 9, 2019) – King's College freshman Andrew Steidle had another great day at the plate in the nine-hole as the Monarch baseball team dropped a pair of tough games to Beloit College and Keene State College to close out the team's spring break trip to Florida at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on Saturday.

The Buccaneers of Beloit rallied to score three runs in the final two innings, including a walk-off hit in the ninth to defeat the Monarchs 6-5 in the morning contest. KSC scored five runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh to overcome a 1-0 deficit to win the second game of the day for the Monarchs 12-1. Both the Bucs and the Owls were playing their only game of the day.
Steidle, a freshman from Rockville Centre, NY, went a perfect 4-for-4 including a double in the opener with two runs and one RBI. He knocked in King's lone run of the nightcap while going 0-for-2 with a walk. Overall, he was 4-for-6 on the day with two runs and two RBI. That follows his big 3-for-7 day against Wentworth where he was a big part of both wins.

The Buccaneers, who were the second team the Monarchs played this week playing their season opener, got off to a hot start in the first scoring two runs on a double, a walk, and then a two RBI two-out single down the line in left by Ethan Conley. Jacob Adamski fired a perfect bullet to second to get Conley out for the final out of the inning as the senior tried to stretch his hit into a double. However, both runs scored before the tag was made at second.

Adamski led off the third with a single through the right side followed by a Steidle double down the line in left putting runners at second and third. Matt Dobeck and Christian Pack hit back-to-back singles up the middle to center to tie the game at two with no outs in the innings. That was all the Monarch offense was able to score in the inning as Beloit got out of the inning with no more damage.

That score stayed the same until the fifth when BC recorded three consecutive singles with one out to score a run. King's responded in the seventh as Steidle began the inning by beating out a grounder to shortstop and then advancing to second as the throw went into the Monarch dugout. Two batters later Pack knocked in Steidle with the tying run on another throwing error by the Buc shortstop. Dan Hartson singled through the right side and then Pack gave the Monarchs their first lead of the day at 4-3 when he scored from second on a wild pitch. Pack initially stopped at third on the pitch but when the BC catcher had trouble locating the ball, he hurried home to give KC the lead. The Monarchs put runners on the corners before Beloit got a strikeout and a nice play on a hard liner to short to get out of the inning with no more runs put on the board.

In the eighth Seth Laky led the inning off with a four-pitch walk, Jonathan Hoyt laid down a perfect pinch-hit sacrifice bunt to move him to second and then Laky advanced to third on a wild pitch. Steidle recorded his fourth hit of the day, a single to the gap in right center to score Laky. In the bottom half of the inning Beloit had a single, double, and single to plate a run with no outs. After a sac fly to right center scoring the tying run, King's brought in Kyle Friebolin with a runner on second and one out. Friebolin shut the door on the Bucs in the inning with a strikeout and a grounder right back to the mound.

After holding the Monarchs scoreless in the top of the ninth, the Buccaneers started the bottom half with a perfectly placed bunt single down the third base line. He was sacrificed to second before the Monarchs intentionally walked Jalen Davis. Friebolin got a flyout to left before Bronson Balholm ended the game with a single to left center to score Garrison Ferone from second.

Dobeck had two hits at the plate while knocking in a run and pitched the first three inning allowing two runs on three hits. After a slow start on the mound the sophomore calmed down and retired five Bucs in a row before being relieved in the fourth by Jacob Lupas. Lupas had another strong outing for the Monarchs going 4.1 innings. The sophomore kept the Bucs off balance hitting the corners. The Monarchs outhit the Bucs 15-11 with Steidle recording four and Hartson having three. Packs added two hits, two RBI, and scored a run. Chris Burke also had two hits for King's. KC had their season-high in hits and put a runner on base in every inning but one, however they struggled to drive in runs leaving 10 men on base during the game.

After about an hour break in between games, the Monarchs came out strong against traditional New England power Keene State with Matthew Mellinger making his second collegiate start on the mound. The game was a pitcher's duel for the first five innings as Mellinger did a great job moving the ball around the box while limiting the Owls to four hits in the first five innings while striking out two and walking just one.

Brandon Heath was just as impressive on the mound for the Owls going six strong innings allowing one run on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. The Monarchs scored the first run of the game in the second when Friebolin led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Mike Armstrong moved him to second on a single through the left side before Paul Helman moved the runners over with a ground out to short. Steidle scored Friebolin with another grounder to the shortstop giving King's a 1-0 advantage.

The Keene State bats came alive in the sixth as the Owls scored five runs on four hits and two Monarchs errors to take a 5-1 lead. They kept the hit streak rolling in the seventh while scoring seven runs on eight hits to take a 12-1 lead. Isaac Keehn relieved Heath on the mound in the seventh and retired the Monarchs in order to close out the victory for Keene State as the game was stopped according to Russ Matt time limit constraints.

The Monarchs had seven hits in the game led by Harston and Friebolin with two hits each. Mellinger had a hit and pitched 5.1 innings allowing two runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

King's will now return north back to Wilkes-Barre where they will get ready for the start of conference play next weekend. The Monarchs are scheduled to start Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play with four-time defending conference runner-up DeSales University on Friday March 15 and Saturday March 16. The Bulldogs will host KC at Butz Field in Center Valley for a single nine inning game starting at 3:30 p.m. before the Monarchs host Saturday's doubleheader at Lipo Field with first pitch of the opener scheduled for 12:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre.