STEVENSON, MD (February 21, 2026) -- The King's College baseball team opened the 2026 season with a pair of losses in seven inning games at Stevenson University, falling 5-1 in the opener before dropping the second game, 11-0, to begin the year 0-2.
 
Game 1 - L, 5-1
After working a leadoff walk to open the game, Troy Neff was stranded after three straight outs brought the Monarchs onto the field for the bottom half of the first inning. Righthander Connor Reynolds got off to a strong start in his first nod of the season, striking out three Mustangs and limiting the hosts to three hits through 4.0 innings of work.
 
A Nathan Gilson leadoff double in the top of the fifth put the Monarchs in a great position to open the scoring. After a disciplined at-bat by Jaiden Wanamaker resulted in a walk, Gilson came around to score when Brendan Kopec laced a single to right field. Christian Galimi came on in relief of Reynolds in the bottom of the fifth and worked his way out of a two-on jam by fanning the fifth batter he faced. Heading into the sixth, King's preserved their one-run lead.
 
Stevenson's bats went to work in the sixth, connecting for three hits. The Mustangs took advantage of a pair of King's errors to hang a five-spot on the board heading into the final inning. Despite Wanamaker getting on base with his second walk of the day, the Monarchs were unable to push a run over the plate and dropped the first game by a score of 5-1.
 
Kopec recorded the lone RBI for the Monarchs on his fifth inning single. Neff, Gilson, Owen Kosar and Kevin Kullman all chipped in hits. Neff and Wanamaker picked up their first stolen bases of the season. On the mound, Jacob DiCiocco was charged with the loss.
 
Game 2 – L, 11-0
First year right-hander Alexander Breitfeller got the start in game two and turned in three scoreless innings of work, allowing just three hits while striking out four. The Mustangs threatened in the third after a two-out single and an error moved a runner into scoring position, but Breitfeller worked around the traffic and got himself a strikeout to keep the game scoreless through three frames. Offensively, King's was retired in order in each of the first two innings as both sides struggled to generate early momentum.
 
Stevenson broke through in the bottom of the fourth. After a leadoff single and a walk put pressure on the Monarchs, the Mustangs capitalized with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring. A two-run triple to left center extended the lead, and Stevenson continued to string together quality at-bats, adding an RBI single and a two-run double to cap a six-run inning.
 
The Mustangs added to their advantage in the fifth with an RBI single following a leadoff triple, pushing the margin to 7-0. King's looked to respond in the top of the sixth, as Neff and Kosar recorded back-to-back two-out singles to put a pair on base, but a flyout to right field ended the threat.
 
Stevenson tacked on four more runs in the sixth, using a walk and consecutive hits to plate two before a two-run double stretched the lead to 11-0. The Monarchs were unable to mount a rally in the seventh, dropping the nightcap by a final score of 11-0.
 
Neff and Kosar accounted for King's two hits in the contest, each recording singles in the sixth inning. Justin Hoadley was charged with the loss on the mound.
 
The Monarchs return to the diamond on Thursday, February 26 as King's takes on Penn State Scranton in Dunmore, PA at Schautz Stadium with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m.