KUTZTOWN, PA (March 24, 2010) – James Quigley smacked a two run, two-out home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Kutztown University baseball team a walk-off 6-4 win and complete the sweep over East Stroudsburg. The Golden Bears were 9-3 winners in the opener of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on North Campus Field Wednesday afternoon. (GAME 1 BOXSCORE) | (Game 2 BOXSCORE)
After the Warriors took their only lead of the day off of a Jason Kelmer two-out grand slam, the Golden Bears never say die mentality kept them alive in the final at-bats.
Mike Kacelowicz drew a two-out walk to get the rally started and scored on a double down the line by Shayne Houck to tie the contest at four apiece. Quigley then found himself in the position he wanted to be in with the game winning run in scoring position. He wasted no time getting the job done by sending the first pitch he saw well beyond the wall in left.
The sweep ran the Golden Bears record to 14-5 overall and 3-3 in the PSAC East. East Stroudsburg fell to 9-7 overall and dropped to 0-2 in their first conference play of the season.
"I knew he would probably be coming at me with an off-speed pitch to try and force a grounder," said Quigley. "He left the curve up and I just reacted to it, right off the bat I knew it was gone."
Houck sent a moonshot out of the park as part of a two run sixth to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 cushion
As the Golden Bears clung to a 1-0 lead, the Warriors worked themselves into a position to tie the contest in the fifth. With a runner on third and one out, starting pitcher Ryan Cassidy got a much needed strike out, followed by a ground out to Houck to end the threat.
Cassidy was lights out in his five innings, scattering just three hits and striking out three. Jordan Garcia, who combined for 2.1 innings between the two games, pitched a perfect sixth inning.
"That game took us from one extreme to another," said head coach Chris Blum. "We had the game in our hands, let it slip away then came back. Our guys could have packed their bags and quit, but they did not. They never gave up and that is what I expect out of them the rest of the season."
In the first game, Kacelowicz double to left, Houck sent a flare to right and Quigley was hit to load the bases in the opening frame. Jared Frey then had to settle with a bases clearing double to left after missing a grand slam by inches, to build an early 3-0 advantage.
In the third, Frey had another RBI double to left and again just missed out on a home run. Frey came around to score during a rundown on Matt Kulbacki's single to right.
The early 5-0 lead was more than enough for winning pitcher Jonathan Grosse, who went 5.2 innings. He scattered five hits, allowing three runs and striking out four before handing the ball over to Garcia.
Grosse received some great defense by his fielder's behind him, including two gems on one play. On a bouncer up the middle just out of Grosse's reach, Kacelowicz flew out of nowhere to make a diving stop by the second base bag. He then fired to first from his knees with Frey scooping the ball out of the dirt to get the runner by a step.
Garcia relieved Grosse with two outs in the fifth to record the final four outs to earn his first save of the season.
Kacelowicz, who finished the game 3-for-4, kept pace with Houck and Quigley with a home run in the sixth. The three share the team lead in homers with four.
With the doubleheader being a March 12 makeup, the Golden Bears will find themselves with little rest heading into more conference play this weekend. They will host Mansfield for a Friday twin bill and then head to Mansfield for two on Saturday.
--KU--
