CENTER VALLEY, PA (April 21, 2021) -- The King's College baseball team struck out a season-high 12 batters, but DeSales University used a four-run sixth inning to pull away for an 8-1 victory on Wednesday from a windy Weiland Park in Center Valley.

The Monarchs got a strong start on the mound by senior Matt Mellinger who struck out seven batters in five innings of work including striking out the side in the second. He struck out six different Bulldogs and had at least one strikeout in the first four innings. The Bulldogs manufactured a run in the first off a single, walk, sac bunt, and then a single to right. King's got on the board in the third inning when Joshua Baiera led off with a single to center, was moved over on a perfectly laid sac bunt to third by Matt Dobeck, and then scored two batters later when Mellinger hit a single to left field.
DeSales retook the lead in the fifth on a double, single, and triple to right field making it 3-1. They then had their big inning in the sixth scoring four runs on five hits with two extra base hits to increase their lead to six.

KC loaded the bases in the eighth as Mellinger singled to center leading off the inning and then Andrew Steidle and Will Hronich worked two-out walks. The Bulldogs made a call to the pen and their relief pitcher was able to get the final out of the inning with no runs across. DSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning to set the final score.

Noah Adams led off the ninth with a single to left and Pat Noone was hit by a pitch but the next three Monarchs were retired to end the game.

Mellinger had two hits and one walk with an RBI in four at-bats while Dobeck was two-for-two with a walk in four plate appearances. All four Monarch pitchers contributed to the strikeout total as Brendan Mozeleski had three while Jordan Stefanski and Anthony Neri recorded one each.

The Monarchs will be back in action this weekend as they face Arcadia University for the first time since 2008. King's will travel down to Skip Wilson Field in Ambler, PA for Saturday's twin bill before hosting the Knights on Sunday at Lipo Field.