DOYLESTOWN, PA (April 10, 2022) -- The pitching efforts of senior Shane Beyer coupled with the bat of junior Brandon Loner helped lead the King's College baseball team to a doubleheader split in MAC Freedom play at Delaware Valley on Sunday afternoon. The Monarchs improve to 8-13 overall and 2-9 in MAC Freedom play, while the Aggies are 8-13 overall and 2-9 against conference opponents.

Game 1 - W, 5-0:
Beyer pitched the complete-game shutout in the win in the opener, allowing just two hits and striking out seven to earn his second win of the season.

He got some help from the Monarchs' bats in the opener as Loner launched a two-run shot to right field in the top of the first to give King's (8-13, 2-9 MAC Freedom) the early 2-0 lead. Then in the third, first year Zach Day reached safely on a Delaware Valley (8-13, 2-9 MAC Freedom) error before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Chase Yochem drove in Day with a two-out RBI single to right field to push the Monarchs lead to 3-0.

The bats stayed hot in the fourth as senior Matt Bound ripped a two-out double down the left field line before advancing to third on a passed ball. He scored on an infield single from senior Andrew Steidle as the Monarchs lead increased to 4-0.

Steidle delivered again in the seventh with a lead off double to right center. A sacrifice bunt from sophomore Brennen Schneider moved Steidle to third as he crossed safely on a sacrifice fly from Loner. The King's defense made quick work of the Aggies in the bottom of the inning to post the 5-0 shutout in the opener on Sunday afternoon.

Steidle and Bound each went 2-for-3 in game one, while Loner drove in a team-high three runs.

Shawne Eldridge led the Aggies with their only two hits in the game, while Dalton Moore was awarded the loss as the starter, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing four runs on six hits.

Game 2 - L, 6-7 (10 Innings):
The night cap of the MAC Freedom doubleheader was an offensive battle as the Aggies recorded 10 hits while the Monarchs totaled 11.

The Monarchs struck first again as Day reached on a two-out single to center field before advancing to third on a single from Loner. The pair advanced, scoring Day, on an Aggies balk to take the early 1-0 lead.

The Aggies' bats came alive in the bottom of the first as they plated five runs on four hits to take a 5-1 lead over the Monarchs. A Delaware Valley sacrifice fly in the second pushed their advantage to 6-1.

King's got one back in the third as Schneider worked a two-out walk and scored on back-to-back singles from Day and Loner to close within 6-2. The Monarchs then plated another run in the fourth as junior John Barry got on with a lead-off single and senior Seth Laky reached on an Aggies error. The pair advanced on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Gregory Ahlstrom before a sacrifice fly from Bound drove in Barry as King's trailed, 6-3.

Both offenses slowed over the next two innings before King's got hot again in the seventh to post the comeback effort. Two consecutive singles from Bound and Steidle put runners on to start the inning, and after some defensive changes by Delaware Valley Day drove in Bound with a double to center field. Loner cleared the bases with his own double down the left field line to tie the game, 6-6. The Aggie defense stepped up to finish the inning with the score tied.

Despite a one-out walk from the Aggies in the bottom of the seventh, the Monarchs  defense made quick work to force extra innings in the MAC Freedom matchup.

Neither team recorded a hit in the next two and a half innings before Delaware Valley finally broke through in the bottom of the 10th, plating the winning run on two hits to hand the Monarchs the heartbreaker, 7-6, in game two of the MAC Freedom doubleheader.

Day and Loner each recorded three hits in the loss, while Loner recorded a team-high three RBIs and Day scored a team-best two runs. Junior Jeremy Huffman earned the loss in relief, throwing for the final 2.1 innings of play while giving up just two hits, while junior Will Hronich and senior Colby Toth each threw well in their relief appearances striking out two each.

Garret Zimmerman paced the Aggies with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with three RBIs, while Bobby Bright scored twice in the win. Zak Clark took the win in 1.0 innings among the eight pitchers the Monarchs faced in game two, holding the Monarchs without a hit in that inning.

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The Monarchs are set to finish their MAC Freedom series with the Aggies tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at Lipo Field.