WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 26, 2023) -- Jacob Sutton had a strong outing, recording a home run and two doubles, as the King's College baseball team fell, 15-1 in game one and 8-5 in game two, to Wilkes University in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play on Sunday afternoon at Betzler Field. With the losses, the Monarchs drop to 7-12 overall and 1-8 in the MAC Freedom standings, while the Colonels improve to 10-11 and 4-5 in conference play.
 
Game 1 – L, 1-15:
Wilkes (10-11, 4-5 MAC Freedom) started the doubleheader strong, plating a run in the opening frame, before exploding for 10 runs on eight hits in the top of the second to hold a daunting 11-0 lead over the Monarchs.
 
Neither team would record a hit until the top of the fourth when the Colonels posted four more runs on five hits as their lead swelled to 15-0. King's (7-12, 1-8 MAC Freedom) put up a hit in each of the next two innings before getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. A single from Chase Yochem started off the inning as a passed ball and Zach Day's at bat pushed Yochem to third to allow him to score on a balk and see the Monarchs trailing, 15-1.
 
The Monarchs would get a runner on in the bottom of the seventh thanks toa  two-out single from John Barry, but their comeback effort would fall short as the Monarchs fell, 15-1, to Wilkes in game one of the MAC Freedom doubleheader.
 
Yochem, Barry, Quin Acchione, and Jacob Sutton all recorded hits in the loss highlighted by Sutton's double. Zach Day was awarded the loss as the starter, giving up eight earned runs on seven hits in 1.1 innings of work. Ricky Hynick had a strong relief outing, holding the Colonels scoreless across 2.2 innings with two strikeouts.
 
Six different Colonels put up multi-hit games, while Jake Cambria and Mike Show drove in a team-high three runs each. Aiden Murphy earned the complete-game win in 7.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits.
 
Game 2 – L, 5-8:
It was a different story in game two as the contest was scoreless going into the third. Wilkes struck first, using a leadoff double from Spezzafera and a single from Koblicka to put the Colonels ahead, 1-0.
 
King's responded as Sutton led off with a double to left field before Nick Ciszak and Acchione worked back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from Yochem drove in Sutton before Brandon Loner's at-bat allowed Ciszak to score as the Monarchs took the 2-1 lead after three innings of play.
 
The Colonels took advantage of another big offensive inning, jumping ahead 6-2 after scoring five runs on five hits in the fourth. The Monarchs tacked on a run in the bottom of the frame as Gregory Ahlstrom led off with an infield single, advanced to third on a double to left center from Brennen Schneider, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Ciszak as King's closed within 6-3.
 
Another solid inning from King's would see the Wilkes lead dwindle to just two runs, 6-4, as a Colonels fielding error and singles from Day and Ahlstrom plated another run for the Monarchs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Two more Colonel runs scored in the top of the sixth as Wilkes built an8-4 advantage before Jacob Sutton homered to lead off the bottom of the sixth and get the Monarchs within 8-5 heading into the final inning of the MAC Freedom doubleheader. The Monarchs defense held steady in the top of the seventh, but King's would just get Ahlstrom on base safely in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out walk as King's fell, 8-5, to Wilkes at Lipo Field on Sunday.
 
Both Ahlstrom and Sutton went 2-for-3 in the loss with an RBI, with Sutton scoring twice. Matt Masala recorded the loss in 3.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits, while Will Hronich was solid in relief, throwing 3.1 innings while allowing two earned runs on one hit.
 
Both Kolbicka and Cambria posted 2-for-4 efforts with two RBIs and two runs in the win. Sawyer Kemp earned the win in 1.2 innings of relief, holding King's to one earned run on two hits, while Mike Show earned the save as he recorded the final out of the game.
 
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The Monarchs will return to Lipo Field on Tuesday afternoon as they host Clarks Summit University in non-conference play beginning at 4:00 p.m.