AUBURNDALE, FL (March 6, 2020) ---Paul Helman knocked in six runs on two home runs including a grand slam to lead the King's College baseball team to a 15-12 victory over Neumann University in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday from the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, FL. Neumann won the opener 5-2 behind a big third inning.

The Monarchs (5-4) hit four homers on the day including two in the first game as Matt Mellinger and Chris Burke gave KC a 2-0 lead with solo shots in the second and third innings. Mellinger led off the second inning by crushing the first pitch he saw down the line and over the fence for his first career dinger. An inning later Burke sent a moon shot over the centerfield fence on a 3-2 pitch for his third home run of the season giving the Monarchs a two-run advantage.

In the bottom of the inning Neumann scored five runs on five hits. Jose Romero led off the inning with a double down the line in left. After a six-pitch walk to Colin Pollard, Colby Toth got an infield fly and a strikeout. Dannu Padilla tied the game with a double down the right field line before doubles by Urena and Murray plated three more runs to give the Knights a 5-2 lead.

Billy Hunt held the Monarchs off the scoreboard the rest of the way to earn his second win of the year. Hunt pitched a complete game four-hitter allowing just the two homers early in the game. He struck on 12 batters while walking two and hitting one. Toth pitched three innings for KC allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Landon LaBar had an excellent relief appearance pitching the final three innings of scoreless ball. LaBar allowed just three hits and struck out three facing 13 batters.

The Knights (4-4) opened the scoring in the second game with two runs in the first inning to take an early lead. That lead was short-lived as the first four Monarchs reached base by getting hit by a pitch or drawing a walk in the bottom half. Brendan Mozeleski gave King's the lead with a big double to the fence in right field to plate two runs. After a Chris Neuhaus walk on eight pitches, Helman crushed a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam giving KC a 7-2 advantage on their second hit of the game.

Mozeleski gave the Monarchs an 8-2 lead in the second inning on a single to left field with runners on second and third. Mellinger then scored to make it 9-2 on a perfectly executed double steal. The lead grew to 13-2 with a four-run third inning. Neuhaus led the inning off with a double to the gap in left center before Helman was walked. Matt Dobeck advanced the runners over with a grounder to the right side and then Jonathan Hoyt knocked in the runners with a single down the left field line. Two batters later Cole Keating hit a double to deep center scoring the final two runs of the inning.

Neumann responded with a big fourth inning scoring 10 runs on 10 hits while bringing 14 batters to the plate. The final seven runs of the inning came with two outs including a three-run home run from Donnie Weaver to make it 13-11. The Knights had six singles, two doubles, one triple, one home run, and one walk in the inning to cut the Monarch lead down to one run.
Helman gave the Monarchs the answer they needed in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run blast to left center on the first pitch he saw. The dinger gave KC a three-run cushion that they held for the rest of the game to split the doubleheader.

Brandon Moffitt was effective in 3.1 innings of relief to earn his first victory of the season. He allowed just one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Kyle Friebolin started the game on the mound for King's and pitched 3.2 innings allowing eight runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts before being relieved. Mozeleski had three hits and knocked in three runs while Neuhaus scored all three times he got on base with two hits and a walk. Helman had two hits in three at-bats with one walk while scoring three runs and knocking in six.

The Monarchs will wrap up their spring break trip to Florida on Saturday morning with a 9 am game against Cornell College. The game will be played in the Stadium at the Chain O'Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, FL.