WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 29, 2019) – Matt Dobeck drew five walks, including the game-winning bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the King's College baseball team to a 6-5 victory over Eastern University at Lipo Field on Monday afternoon in the regular season finale.

The five walks are one shy of the Division III record in a game and his fifth capped off a ninth inning rally where the Monarchs scored twice for their second win of the year when trailing after seven. The Eastern pitchers didn't want to give Dobeck anything to hit after the sophomore had six hits in two games on Saturday as the team's leadoff hitter. The win also enables the Monarchs to reach the .500 mark for the first time this season after losing their first four games. KC finishes the regular season with a 17-17 record while going 12-9 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom games with five series victories. The only two series the Monarchs did not win this year were against top-seeded Misericordia and second-seeded Manhattanville.

King's got on the board in the first inning as Dobeck led off with a walk, Dan Hartson was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Reynolds knocked in Dobeck with a two-out single to right. The score stayed the same until the fourth inning when KC took advantage of three Eastern errors to score three runs. Mike Armstrong led off with a single through the left side and then advanced to second on a Shane Beyer walk. Sean McKee laid down a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher in which he decided to try and get the lead runner out at third. His throw to third sailed into left field allowing Armstrong to score the game's second run. After Dobeck drew his third walk of the game, Christian Pack hit a sac fly to right to plate Shane Beyer. The Monarchs added another run on back-to-back errors by the EU third baseman and shortstop.

On the mound Alex Bruneio had a great outing going six-plus innings while getting great defense behind him. The sophomore allowed just four hits with one walk and two strikeouts before the Monarchs made a call to the bullpen after a single and a walk to start the seventh inning.  The Monarchs brought in Kyle Friebolin to try and shut the door on the Eagles. However, a single to right center loaded the bases with no outs before the junior got a grounder right back to him to get the lead runner out at home for the first out of the inning. After a two RBI single down the line in left Friebolin was able to get a fly out to right for the second out of the inning. A double down the line in left and a single up the middle scored another three runs giving EU the lead before Friebolin got out of the inning.

Britton Lawrence kept the Monarch bats off balance in the seventh and eighth innings as the junior walked just one batter in two innings of work. The Eagles brought in their closer, Steve Sattanino to try and close out the game against the middle of the Monarch order. After striking out the first hitter of the inning, Noah Adams worked a four-pitch walk before being pinch ran for by Andrew Roth. Armstrong singled down the left field line and then was pinch ran for by Andrew Steidle. Jacob Adamski knocked a 2-1 pitch to center field for a pinch-hit RBI single scoring Roth with the game-tying run from second. Steidle and Adamski moved up to second and third on the play as the center fielder's throw home got away from the catcher. Sean McKee was intentionally walked to load the bases with Dobeck due up. The sophomore watched three pitches miss before Sattanino threw a strike. Dobeck fouled off the 3-1 pitch before the sixth pitch missed high setting off a celebration from the KC bench.

This is the second straight year the Monarchs have ended the regular season on a walk-off walk at Lipo Field on a Monday. Last year King's earned the fourth seed in the MAC Freedom Tournament as Christian Pack drew a base-loaded walk in the ninth inning against Delaware Valley. Armstrong had two of King's five hits in the game while Hartson, Reynolds, and Adamski had one each. Dobeck was 0-for-1 at the plate with his five walks, a run scored, and the game-winning RBI. King's drew 10 total walks in the game. Jacob Lupas threw two innings of two-hit ball to earn his first victory of the season.

The Monarchs will return to action on Friday afternoon at 3 pm as they take on Misericordia University from Owls Field in West Lawn on the first day of the MAC Freedom Tournament. Manhattanville and DeSales will play in the other game of the night.