CENTER VALLEY, PA (May 1, 2021) -- The seventh-seeded King's College baseball team put up a great fight at second-seeded DeSales University on Saturday afternoon from Weiland Park in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Tournament Quarterfinals, but the host Bulldogs were able to walk away with a pair of wins to by scores of 12-11 and 7-1 to eliminate the Monarchs.

The Monarchs had one of their best offensive performances of the year in game one scoring 11 runs on 11 hits. The 11 runs were the most scored in a game since they scored 18 against FDU-Florham the fourth game of the year. Matt Dobeck led things off with a double to left field and after a Brendan Mozeleski walk and infield single by Chris Burke to load the base, Matt Mellinger knocked in the first run of the game with a sac fly to center.

The Bulldogs responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning. KC came right back in the second as Andrew Steidle doubles to left, Joshua Baiera single to right and then Dobeck knocked in a run on a fielder's choice to third. Mozeleski knocked in another run on another fielder's choice to third before Chris Burke blast a two-run homer to left giving the Monarchs a 5-1 lead. DSU got a run back in the fourth on two doubles and then used a big seven-run fifth inning to take their first lead of the game at 9-5. The Bulldogs used seven hits and took advantage of two errors in the inning.

The Monarchs had another response in the top of the sixth scoring six runs on five hits to retake an 11-9 lead. Pat Noone singled and Matt Bound walked before Noah Adams knocked both in with a pinch hit double to left center. He advanced to third on a wild pitch before Anthony Neri came into the game to pinch run and score on a wild pitch to cut the lead down to one. Dobeck walked, Mozleski doubled, and Burke tied the game with a single to right. Mozeleski scored on a throwing error by the catcher on a Burke steal and then Mellinger knocked in the final run of the inning with a single to right.

DeSales tied the game up with two runs in the eighth. In the ninth the Monarchs were unable to score putting two runners on base with two outs. In the bottom of the inning the Bulldogs put runners on second and third with two outs and walked-off with a 12-11 victory on a ball to the outfield.

The Monarchs got a lot of production from the top of the lineup as Burke led the way with three hits and three RBI. Noone had two hits and scored a run while Dobeck and Mozeleski added a hit, a RBI, and two runs scored each. Mellinger knocked in two runs as did Adams. The Monarchs had five extra-base hits in the games including four doubles.

The Monarchs went up early in game two scoring first in the second inning. Mozeleski began the inning with an infield single to third and then scored on an Adams double to the gap in right. DSU answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

The Bulldogs then rode the pitching of their ace, John Poccia, who threw a complete game seven-hitter. DSU gave Poccia insurance runs scoring one run in the third and fourth innings, two in the fifth, and once in the eighth to set the final score.

Dobeck and Adams each had two hits in the game. Noone, Burke, and Mozeleski had a hit a piece. Jacob Lupas struck out seven Bulldogs in 4.2 innings of work while Colby Toth stuck out four in the final 3.1 innings of relief.

--MONARCHS--