WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 16, 2022) -- In a dominant effort both at the plate and out in the field, the King's College baseball team cruised to a 20-0 win over Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday afternoon in their home opener at Lipo Field. The Monarchs improve to 5-2 for the season, while the Nittany Lions fall to 0-1.

King's (5-2) started their offensive onslaught from the get go, plating two runs in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single through the left side by sophomore Chase Yochem and an RBI double to left from junior Brandon Loner. The Monarchs saw two more cross in the bottom of the second as sophomore Gregroy Ahlstrom came in off an attempt to catch senior Matt Bound stealing and senior Andrew Steidle drove in Bound with a double to left field.

Three hits in the third saw three more score as Loner led off with a double to center before advancing to third on a Penn State Wilkes-Barre (0-1) error. First year Zach Day drove in Loner before junior Will Hronich hit a one-out double to center, and a Bound sacrifice fly scored Ahlstrom to see the Monarchs lead increase to 7-0.

An explosive fourth inning featured five runs off four hits thanks to RBIs from Day, Ahlstrom, Hronich, and junior Jeremy Huffman. King's matched those efforts in the seventh, recording another five runs on just two hits, a single by sophomore Stewart Caladie and a single by junior Will McIntosh, as the Monarchs lead swelled to 18-0.

The hosts plated their final two runs in the bottom of the eighth to post the 20-0 final in their home opener on Lipo Field.

As a team, the Monarchs recorded 17 hits for their 20 runs with 14 RBIs and seven extra-base hits. The pitching and defensive efforts held Penn State Wilkes-Barre to just two hits in the game with 18 strikeouts.

Sophomore Brennen Schneider, Loner, Ahlstrom, Hronich, and Huffman all recorded two hits in the win, while Ahlstrom and sophomore Aaron Mason led King's with three runs each. Hronich also posted a team-best three RBIs, and Yochem and Bound each stole a base.

Senior Randy Paulino earned the win on the mound as the starter, throwing 2.0 innings, allowing no hits and striking out five out of nine batters faced. Matt Martin, Anthony Neri, Jeff Higgins, and Joshua Baiera all threw well in relief as each struck out three.

Logan Broody-Walega led Penn State Wilkes-Barre with a triple, while Max Mager recorded the loss on the mound as the starter, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up seven runs on eight hits.

The Monarchs are back in action on Friday afternoon as they open their MAC Freedom schedule on the road at Arcadia University for the nine-inning game for their three-game series with the Knights. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. in Ambler, PA.