AUBURNDALE, FL (March 1, 2020) --- Kyle Friebolin struck out a career high five hitters in a complete game gem to lead the King's College baseball team to a 6-1 game two victory over John Carroll University to split a doubleheader with the Blue Streaks on Sunday afternoon from the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, FL. JCU won the opener 6-1.

John Carroll (3-2) got a masterful pitching performance from Mitchell Midea in the opener as their ace struck out 12 Monarchs in 5.1 innings of work. King's (3-1) gave Midea trouble in the first inning with a leadoff walk by Matt Dobeck and a single through the left side by Chris Burke to put two on with one out. Matt Mellinger and Friebolin both hit the ball hard in their at-bats but both balls went straight to the center fielder for outs. Midea was dominant on the hill from there retiring 14 hitters in a row and striking out the side in the second, third, and fourth innings.

The Blue Streaks got on the board and did most of their damage in the fourth inning with five runs. JCU loaded the bases and scored a run before the Monarchs made an out in the inning. Colby Toth nearly got out of the inning with little damage before a two-out triple down the right field line by Chrisitan Cassaro cleared the bases. Cassaro then scored on a single to left. JCU increased their lead to 6-0 in the sixth on a bloop double down the right field line by David Ferguson and a single to right by Brady Fields.

Cole Keating led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit triple to right center. Dobeck knocked him in with a ground out to second before the Blue Streaks made a call to the bullpen. They brought in Jack Bennett for the final five outs of the game. Bennet struck out three Monarchs in his 1.2 innings.

Toth took the loss on the mound for KC throwing four innings. He allowed five runs, of which only one was earned, on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Landon LaBar was excellent in relief throwing three innings of three-hit ball allowing just one run while facing 11 batters.

Burke started off the nightcap with his second homer of the year in the first inning to give King's the early lead. The righty blasted the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for his third career dinger. Friebolin didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning but got great defense behind him including a spectacular grab down the line by Seth Laky at third and throw across the diamond to get the runner for the first out of the second inning.

The Monarchs gave their captain all the run support he needed in the fourth inning with a trio of doubles. Laky began the inning with a two-bagger to right. After a Keating single to left, Brendan Mozeleski knocked in a run with a ripper to the gap in left center. Three batters later Dobeck hit the same gap to plate two more runs giving the Monarchs a 4-0 lead. The Blue Streaks got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff double but Friebolin induced a flyout to right and then struck the next two batters out to get out of the inning.

He wasn't as lucky in the fifth as JCU put together back-to-back singles and a double with two outs to cut the lead to 4-1 and put runners on second and third. Friebolin induced a easy popup to second to get out of the jam. The Monarchs got the run back and added another insurance run in the seventh on a Mellinger single up the middle. Dobeck led off the inning with a great at-bat that finished with a single up the middle. The leadoff hitter fouled off four 0-2 pitches before getting on base. Andrew Steidle got on with an infield single deep in the hole at short before Burke was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mellinger knocked a 2-0 pitch up the middle to give KC their final runs of the game.

Friebolin threw a complete game gem with a career high five strikeouts on 91 pitches. The senior allowed just one run on four hits and two walks. At the plate, Dobeck led the Monarchs with three hits while the top seven spots in the order recorded a hit in the game.

The Monarchs will be right back in action early Monday morning with a 9 am start back at Lake Myrtle. King's will play two seven inning games against Milwaukee School of Engineering on Field 5.