KUTZTOWN, PA. (April 18, 2010) – Nathan Reed had no idea until he glanced at the scoreboard as he prepared to head back to the mound in the top of the sixth inning. After all, his Kutztown University teammates continued to talk to him in the dugout. They even high-fived him as he walked off the field after retiring Bloomsburg in the sixth inning.
The Golden Bears didn't get the sacred baseball missive of leaving a teammate alone when something special is brewing. It didn't matter as Reed along with some defensive gems late in the game tossed his first career no-hit, no-run effort as ninth-ranked Kutztown defeated Bloomsburg, 13-0, in the first game of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader Sunday afternoon at North Campus Field. Bloomsburg came back to win the second game, 3-2. (GAME 1 BOXSCORE) / (GAME 2 BOXSCORE)
The no-hitter was sealed when Kutztown third baseman Shayne Houck made a diving catch of Bloomsburg's Seth Pauling screaming line drive. Houck dove to his right and snatched the ball out of the air as it soared inches above the ground. Once the ball landed safely in Houck's glove, the Golden Bears poured out of the dugout and embraced Reed on the mound.
“Pitching this type of game is something you don't necessarily think about,” Reed said. “My focus going into every game is to keep us in the game and give us a chance to win. My defense was terrific today and I definitely owe Shayne dinner after he made that catch to end the game. I didn't know I had a no-hitter going until I saw the scoreboard after our big fifth inning.”
It was the first no-hitter fired by a Kutztown pitcher since Matt Haverly threw a perfect game against East Stroudsburg in a 2-0 victory at the Newport News tournament on February 28, 2004. In addition, Reed's no-hitter helped the Golden Bears (30-9 overall, 14-6 PSAC East) top the 30-win mark for the seventh consecutive year.
This is the first no-hitter Reed, a University of Pittsburgh transfer, has ever thrown at any level in his life. The 6 foot, 3 inch left-hander knew he was going to have a great day when he decided to remove the yoke from the egg sandwich he cooked. Eating healthier, Reed devoured the egg-white sandwich.
Then once the game started, Reed was on top of his game from the very first pitch. He struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. Reed retired the first 10 batters of the game. Reed allowed three walks but that was offset by his season-high nine strikeouts.
Reed had all of his pitches working. The change-up floated like a butterfly while his fastball stung like a bee. Reed's curveball locked the Bloomsburg hitters throughout the contest. Reed opened the game by striking out the side (all swinging) in the first inning.
Overall, Reed retired the side in order in the first, second, third and seventh innings. He never allowed more than one runner reach base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
“He threw every pitch really well today,” Kutztown head coach Chris Blum said. “Once the game got to the fifth inning, you realized that something special could happen. I am thrilled for Nate, but it definitely took a team effort to achieve it.”
While Reed breezed through the first five innings, the last two were perilous as Bloomsburg hit a few hard hit balls, which allowed Kutztown to showcase its brilliant defensive prowess. In the sixth inning, Tony Donofry lined a shot that hit Reed just above the inside of his leg and bounced a few feet from him. Showcasing cat-like quickness and ignoring the pain, Reed scrambled and picked up the ball and fired it to first base to just nip Donofry for the second out.
“The ball got muscle so I was fine,” Reed said. “I was just trying to find the ball. He was sitting on my fastball and I left one up and he hit real good. Luckily, it hit my leg. It was no biggie.”
The seventh was a little more hair-raising for Reed and the Golden Bears, who all stood outside of their dugout in the inning. Jeff Kramer hit a ball pretty hard that was caught by centerfielder Jeff Kistle. Scott Kacelowicz stung a ball that second baseman Brandon Shurr gobbled up as dirt flew up in his face and fired to first baseman Jared Frey for the second out.
Reed received plenty of offensive support. Kutztown's top three hitters at the top of the line-up: Mike Kacelowicz, Frey and Houck combined for seven of the Golden Bears' 14 hits. Kacelowicz and Houck had two hits each. Frey had three hits for the third straight game (all against Bloomsburg) and drove in four runs. Frey also slugged a two-run home run that sailed over the right field fence in the fourth inning.
Already armed with a 5-0 lead after leaving the mound in the fifth inning, Reed's teammates made life easier for him by doubling their advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kutztown sent nine batters to the plate in a 25-minute half-inning that resulted in five runs and five hits.
“It's exciting to be a part of this and be on the field when you have a teammate in the middle of something special like this,” Frey said. “As the game went on and we realized that Bloomsburg didn't have a hit yet, it really got your adrenaline flowing. You wanted to make every play that came near you. We spoke to him between innings and he didn't seem to mind. I am really happy for him.”
Of course, Blum had to have to the final laugh after the game. As Reed and his father approached him, Blum made the comment concerning his performance by saying, “I expect better than that.”
“My teammates were great today and it was important to win the game first and foremost,” Reed said. “This is something I will remember for a long time. I like Kutztown a lot and today was nice. My team made some amazing plays in support of me.”
In the second game:
Bloomsburg 3, Kutztown 2: The Golden Bears fell into a first place tie with West Chester with a weekend series remaining. The decisive run scored on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning. Frey paced the Kutztown offense by getting two hits. The Kutztown highlights came in the bottom of the third inning when the Golden Bears scored both runs. Frey and Houck had consecutive doubles. Frey scored on Houck's blast and Houck crossed the plate on Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville)'s RBI single. (BOXSCORE)
West Chester (29-9 overall, 14-6 PSAC East) concludes the season with a weekend series against Shippensburg. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears finish against Millersville.
Kutztown returns to action Monday night when it plays Albright College at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Phillies, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.
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