SAVANNAH, Ga. (March 8, 2011) – The Kutztown University baseball team dropped its first game during its six-game set in Georgia to 20th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University, 10-8, Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Field. (BOXSCORE)
Kutztown (8-4 overall) came into Tuesday's game ranked 21st in the latest Collegiate Baseball top poll. It is also ranked 10th by collegebaseballlineup.com and second in the Atlantic Region as voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
From a game that was dominated by pitching for the first seven innings, Tuesday afternoon's game featuring two top-25 teams turned into an offensive slugfest in the eighth inning. 13 runs were scored in the eighth inning, six of which belonging to the Golden Bears.
After being down 3-0 and only accumulating two hits through seven innings, KU poured on the runs in the eighth. After scoring two runs off a throwing error by Armstrong's third baseman, freshman Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) tied the game with an RBI single through the left side scoring Cody Montz (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven). Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) followed up Stoudt's single with an RBI double, bringing in Stoudt and giving the Golden Bears the lead. Houck finished the day with two hits, two walks, one RBI and one run scored.
James Quigley (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) and Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) were also able to bring in some runs for Kutztown in the eighth. Quigley hit into a fielder's choice scoring Houck, and Albaugh hit an RBI double to right field scoring Quigley to give KU a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom half of the eighth.
Unfortunately for Kutztown, the Pirates put together a rally of their own in the home half of the eighth. The Pirates' biggest hit came with two outs and the bases loaded. AASU second baseman Mike Barnhill hit a bases clearing double to center field. AASU scored seven runs off six hits in the eighth inning, as the game moved into the ninth with Armstrong holding a 10-6 lead.
The Golden Bears would get two more runs in the ninth off a two RBI single from Stoudt, scoring Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) and Gilbert Vega (Lancaster, PA/J.P. McCaskey). Stoudt finished the day going 2-for-5 at the plate with a team-leading three RBI's.
Nich Boles (King, N.C./West Stokes/North Carolina A&T) got the start for Kutztown and struck out six batters in four and a third innings of work. He let up just four hits while allowing three runs and walking three batters.
Earning the win for the Pirates (15-3) was Jonathan Fulghum who threw one inning while allowing two runs. Scott Strickland started for AASU and had a great day on the mound. He struck out nine KU hitters in seven-plus innings of work. Catcher John Roberts led Armstrong at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI's.
Kutztown will look to get back to its winning form tomorrow as it will face West Liberty University for the second time during its spring break trip beginning at 10:00 a.m. KU defeated WLU in its earlier meeting on Mar. 5, 26-2.
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