WILSON, N.C. — The Kutztown University baseball team split its second doubleheader in as many days with Barton College Sunday at Nixon Field in Wilson, N.C.
The Golden Bears (2-2) opened with a 5-3 win in the first game over Barton (4-3), but fell 4-2 in the second game.
KU will return to the diamond with five games at the Builder Invitational Feb. 19-22. The tournament will open with a 6 p.m. matchup against Lock Haven on Feb. 19.
Kutztown 5, Barton 3
Jeff Kistle (so. Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny) and Chad Lightcap (sr. Boyertown/Boyertown) each had home runs as the Golden Bears defeated Barton College 5-3 Sunday.
Kistle homered to right field in the top of the second, plating three runs and giving KU the 3-1 lead.
Lightcap's solo homer to right field in the third made it 4-1.
Matt Kulbacki (jr. Hershey/Hershey), who reached safely after being hit by a pitch, scored on an error in the seventh to make it 5-1.
Barton managed two runs in the bottom of the seven, but Trent Mertz (so. Kutztown/Kutztown) closed the door, picking up his first save of the season. Mertz pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing a single hit.
His save gave the win to Ryan Cassidy (jr. Langhorne/Archbishop Wood), who pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks.
Mike Kacelowicz (jr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) went 2-for-4, and Jared Frey (jr. Mohrsville/Schuylkill Valley) and Michael Dugan (so. Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) also scored runs for KU.
Barton 4, Kutztown 2
The Golden Bears held a 2-0 lead through 4 1/2 innings, but Barton scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth to solidify a 4-2 win Sunday.
Jared Frey (jr. Mohrsville/Schuylkill Valley) was 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Corey Buletza (so. St. Clair/Pottsville), Mike Kacelowicz (jr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) and Chad Lightcap (sr. Boyertown/Boyertown) each had hits for KU.
Buletza and Kacelowicz were 1-for-3, with Kacelowicz hitting a double and scoring a run, and Lightcap was 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Michael Dugan (so. Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) also had an RBI.
Matt Patteson (fr. Lebanon/Cedar Crest) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs — two earned — in 1 1/3 innings of work.
