eb. 21 — The Kutztown University baseball team scored nine runs over the final four innings to hold off East Stroudsburg in a non-conference 15-8 win at the Builder Invitational Saturday morning at War Memorial Stadium.
Mike Kacelowicz (jr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) led the Golden Bears (5-2) going 4-for-5, scoring four runs and driving in two more.
Jared Frey (jr. Mohrsville/Schuylkill Valley) and Shayne Houck (fr. Barto/Boyertown) each had three hits, with Frey recording three RBIs and a run scored and Houck scoring once and driving in another run.
James Quigley (so. Bensalem/Bensalem) also had three RBIs, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Chad Lightcap (sr. Boyertown/Boyertown) highlighted the top of the batting order, as well, going 1-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and two RBIs.
Trent Mertz (so. Kutztown/Kutztown) started for KU, going 4 1/3 innings while striking out five. He allowed three runs on four hits and one walk.
Mertz left the game with a 6-3 lead, and Adam Maini (jr. Macungie/Emmaus), who picked up the win in relief, pitched three innings, striking out three and allowing five runs — four earned — on two hits and four walks.
Mike Bucklin (jr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) closed out the game, pitching 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one baserunner on a hit for his first save of the year.
KU took a 10-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but East Stroudsburg battled back with four runs to cut it to 10-8. The Golden Bears, however, put the game out of reach with five runs in the top of the ninth.
Corey Buletza (so. St. Clair/Pottsville) scored two runs for KU from the leadoff position.
KU has now scored 43 runs in the first three games of the Builder Invitational.
The Golden Bears will be back in action later today with a contest against Bloomsburg, set to start at 6 p.m.
Kutztown 15, East Stroudsburg 8
Score by inning R H E
Kutztown............ 300 301 215 - 15 14 2
East Stroudsburg.... 000 031 040 - 8 7 4
K-Trent Mertz, Adam Maini (5), Mike Bucklin (8), and Matt Kulbacki
E-Christian Saveri, Andy Noga (4), Andrew Killinger (9), Chad Jacobson (9), and Brendan O'Connor and Bryce Muth
W: Adam Maini (1-0), L: Christian Saveri, S: Mike Bucklin (1)
2B: Kutztown, Mike Kacelowicz, Chad Lightcap, Shayne Houck 3; East Stroudsburg, Kevin Thompson, John Pisker
Records: K: 5-2, East Stroudsburg: 4-2
Highlights: Mike Kacelowicz 4-for-5, four runs, two RBIs; James Quigley 2-for-4, three RBIs, run scored; Jared Frey 3-for-5, three RBIs, run scored; Shayne Houck 3-for-6, RBI, run scored; Chad Lightcap 1-for-2, two walks, three runs, two RBIs.
