MADISON, NJ (Mar. 16, 2024) - - King's College baseball split today's Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader with FDU-Florham this afternoon. The Monarchs fell just short by 5-4 in the first game at noon, but bounced back for their first conference win of the season and beat the Devils 10-3. Brendan Kopec and Jaiden Wanamaker each hit doubles today while Matt Masala recorded his second win of the season on the mound. After today's doubleheader, King's is now 5-8 overall and 1-2 in MAC Freedom play this season. 

Game 1 – L, 4-5
The Monarchs scored the first run of the day in the opening inning of the first game when Wanamaker reached home on a throwing error that occurred when Zach Day stole second and then advanced to third. King's held its 1-0 lead over the Devils until the fifth inning when FDU-Florham had a hot streak at the plate. 

In the bottom of the fifth, the Devils hit three doubles in a row to score three runs back-to-back before Matt Aber hit a triple to score the Devils fourth and final run of the inning to give them a 4-1 lead over the Monarchs. 

King's began to make a comeback in the seventh inning when Kopec sent his double through right center field that allowed Cole Morio to score the Monarchs' second run of the game. Wanamaker hit a single down the right side of the field shortly after that put Kopec at home to put King's within just one run of the Devils at 4-3. Day then hit a single also that sent Mikey Timinski in to score the game tying run. 

King's and FDU-Florham remained tied throughout the eighth inning, but the Devils ultimately pulled off the win in the bottom of the eighth after Aber singled to right field for the game-winning RBI at 5-4 over the Monarchs. 

Adin Hoderewski and Josh Kilvitis each had two strikeouts in the loss. Wanamaker and Day led the Monarchs at the plate with two hits and one RBI each. Day and Bryce O'Hara each had a stolen base as well.

Game 2 – W, 10-3 
The Monarchs started the first inning of the second game with a bang scoring four runs in the top of the inning. Wanamaker scored the first run when Kopec was walked with the bases loaded. Justin Stefanowicz was then hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, which sent Day in for the Monarchs' second run. Brennan Schneider reached first on an error that put Yochem at home to up King's lead to 3-0. Brayden Schoonmaker was also hit by a pitch to advance Kopec to home for the Monarchs' fourth and final run of the first inning. 

King's continued to further build onto its lead in the second inning when Wanamaker scored on a Devils' throwing error to put the Monarchs up 5-0. Dusty Shaver was then walked to send Day to home for the RBI, giving King's its sixth run. The Monarchs scored just one run in the third inning when Chase Yochem sent a single down the left field line and allowed Timinski to run home. 

Similar to the third inning, Wanamaker hit a single through center field that put Timinski at home for the RBI again that put King's up 8-0 going into the bottom of the fourth. FDU-Florham scored its first run of the game in this inning after singling through the left side for an RBI to end the fourth down 8-1. 

The Devils scored again in the sixth inning when Eddie Appollina sent a two-run double through the center to tighten their trail to 8-3. The Monarchs pushed further though in the last inning of the game as Schneider hit a single to third base for a RBI. Owen Kosar also hit a single that went to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error, which also allowed Stefanowicz to score King's final run of the day. The Monarchs ended the second game with a 10-3 win over FDU-Florham.

Masala tallied a season-high of five strikeouts on the mound for King's and allowed only eight hits in facing 23 batters. Wanamaker, Kopec, and Yochem led with two hits each again, including Wanamaker's double in the top of the second inning. Day, Yochem and Wanamaker also all recorded two runs, while Schneider had two RBIs for the Monarchs.

The Monarchs are back at Lipo Field on Monday Mar. 18 at 4 pm for a non-conference game against Penn State Wilkes-Barre.