WEST LAWN, PA (May 3, 2019) – The King's College baseball team left 11 men on base in the opening game of the 2019 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) Friday, falling to top-seed Misericordia University 6-1 in play from Owls Field at Ted Palka Park.

Sophomore first baseman Matt Mellinger was 3-for-3 to lead the Monarchs offensively, reaching all four times at bat, while senior Sean McKee was 2-for-4 with an RBI. King's stranded six of their total 11 base-runners in the final three frames.

Misericordia took an early lead in the bottom of the first following a 1-2-3 inning by the Monarchs, as Tyler Holzapfel drove in the first run of the game on a fielder's choice to plate Kenny Jerema. King's battled back in the top half of the second inning, evening the game at one with a single run.

In the frame, Mellinger singled to right field to start the stanza followed two batters later by a Jonathan Hoyt single down the left field line to put runners on the corners. Two pitches later, McKee shot a single into right field to push Mellinger across and tie the game. King's would load the bases in the inning, but MU pitcher Ian McCole got out of the jam.

The Cougars would regain the lead though in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of two King's miscues. Steve Weisensee stole third after walking earlier in the inning, and the throw to third went into left field to give MU a 2-1 lead. After a failed squeeze attempt from MU, Shane Hughes doubled in a run while Billy Kerwien finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to right field.

In the top of the sixth, Mellinger singled to start the frame with a hard-hit single over the shortstop's head, but was doubled up two pitches later on a fantastic jumping catch of a line drive off the bat of Tyler Reynolds.

King's had another threat in the top of the seventh, as McKee singled on a line drive to center field followed by a Mike Armstrong walk to put two runners on with no one out. After a sacrifice bunt from Paul Helman moved the runners up a base, but McCole recorded a strikeout and a ground out to deny the Monarchs.

In the bottom of the frame, Misericordia added on another pair of runs as Tyler Holzapfel tripled off the right-center wall to score Brady Madden. Holzapfel would come across on the next batter, as Hughes singled to left field to make the score 6-1.

The Monarchs once again put runners on first and second to start the eighth inning thanks to singles from Mellinger and Dan Hartson, but King's would strand both as McCole got a pair of strike outs to end the frame.

In the ninth, King's for the third straight inning got runners on first and second, as MU reliever Kyle Melahn walked Jacob Adamski and pinch hitter Noah Adams. The Monarchs though would strand both as the Cougars sealed the victory.

Hartson tossed seven innings for the Monarchs, logging 124 pitches and allowing five earned runs and nine hits while being saddled with the loss. Jacob Lupas came on in relief in the eighth, and got a ground ball double play and a foul out to work a scoreless frame.
 
Parker Abate, Hughes and Kerwien all had two hits apiece for the Cougars, while McCole chalked up the win after scattering eight hits over eight innings of work, striking out seven hitters.

King's (17-18) will take on the loser of Friday evening's game with No. 2 Manhattanville College and No. 3 seed DeSales University at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4 as the Monarchs try to stay alive in the loser's bracket. Misericordia (30-10) will take on the winner of game two at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.