SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (March 26, 2011) – The Kutztown University baseball team looks like it has found its groove. The Golden Bears completed a crucial sweep of Shippensburg University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game Saturday afternoon. Kutztown won both games, 11-3 and 7-3. (GAME 1 BOXSCORE) / (GAME 2 BOXSCORE)
Kutztown pounded out 13 hits in each game to raise its overall record to 14-8 and even its PSAC record at 4-4. Meanwhile, Shippensburg dropped to 11-15 and 4-4 in the PSAC East. After losing three of four games to East Stroudsburg last weekend, the Golden Bears are growling.
Making the most noise during the doubleheader were junior Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) and senior Mike Dugan (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City), a pair of the best players in the PSAC.
Houck led the Golden Bears with five hits over the two games. The reigning PSAC East Player of the Year had three hits in the nightcap. In the opener, Houck was a force as he doubled and belted a three-run homer in the seventh inning. Houck has four home runs and a team best 22 runs batted in.
Dugan was just as active in both games. He had five hits and scored five runs. He also drove in four runs. Both of Dugan's hits in the opening game drove home runs. His first single in the second inning tied the game, 2-2. Overall, Kutztown scored four times in the second inning and was helped by three Shippensburg errors. The Golden Bears never trailed again.
Sophomore catchers Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) and Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) had four hits each in the two games combined. Rubendall had two hits in each game. Albaugh had three hits in the first game for the Golden Bears. Trent Mertz (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) gave the Golden Bears five solid innings and turned the ball over to Jordan Garcia (Mount Carmel, PA/Fleetwood) and Tyler Persun (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) to subdue the Red Raiders.
Kutztown started strong in the second game by scoring five runs in the first inning. The big blows during the inning were a two-run single by Dugan and a RBI double by Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights). That was more than enough support for winning pitcher Nich Boles (King, N.C./West Stokes/North Carolina A&T), who tossed six great innings and allowed two runs.
Houck capped his day by adding a RBI single in the fourth inning to extend Kutztown's lead to 6-2. Stoudt finished the scoring with a RBI single in the seventh.
After scoring 10 runs in its first five conference games, Kutztown has crossed the plate 30 times in its last three games. More importantly, the Golden Bears have had double digit hits in the last three games.
Kutztown will look to keep its hot hitting going when it visits Philadelphia University in a non-conference contest Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in a nine-inning affair. The Golden Bears' next conference obstacle is next weekend against Millersville University. KU visits Millersville on Friday and its hosts the Marauders at North Campus Field Saturday. The two Millersville games begin at 1 p.m.
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