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WILSON, NC. – Senior third baseman Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) has nearly cemented himself as one of the best in program history.  He added another chapter to his storied career on Saturday in what turned out to be a pair of exciting finishes down in the Carolinas.
 
Houck blasted his 37th career homer in the opening game of a twin bill against Barton College.  It ties John Rozich's 13-year old record and moves him into a tie for fifth place in conference history.  Houck began a comeback that nearly pushed the Kutztown University baseball team past Barton in the opener before falling on the wrong side of a 6-5 decision.  KU bounced back with a 9-5 victory in the nightcap.
 
Down six in the final inning and struggling to find some offensive consistency, KU was down to its last out and on the brink of its second straight shutout to the Bulldogs.  Houck came to the plate with two men in scoring position and just needed a base hit to bring them home.  Houck did much more than simply put KU on the board.  His lone hit of the game sailed over the centerfield fence to narrow the gap to 6-3.
 
Still with two outs, catcher Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) hit a single down the left field line to keep the rally alive.  Senior outfielder Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) came to the plate and showed he has fully recovered from his season-ending injury early last season.  He hit his first home run of the year to left field and brought the tying run to the plate.  Brett Hauck (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) hit a single to make Seth Shultz (Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser) (Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser) the potential go-ahead run. Unfortunately for KU, Barton was able to disrupt the potential comeback and silence the junior hitter.
 
Kutztown totaled nine hits in the opener as Albaugh was the only Golden Bear to have a multi-hit game.  Damon Valloreo (Vincentown, N.J./Burlington CCC) (Vincentown, NJ/Seneca) made his first start in maroon and gold and allowed four earned runs in three innings of work.  He struck out four batters.
 
The bullpen effort by Corey Snyder (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) and Karl Von Kiel (Macungie, PA/West Mount) (Macungie, PA/West Mount) kept the Golden Bears in the game and made the potential comeback possible.  They combined for three innings of one-run baseball and allowed just one hit.
 
Dylan Newton was one out away from throwing Barton's second straight shutout.  He picked up the win as he struck out seven in 6.2 innings before the Houck home run would take him out of the game. 
 
Each of the top six batters got a hit for KU in the second game.  KU came out swinging and plated four in the first inning.  With two outs, Albaugh and sophomore Sean McCormick (West Chester, PA/Henderson) (West Chester, PA/Henderson) hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give KU the early lead. Junior Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) connected on his first career homerun to bring in McCormick and give KU the four-run advantage. 
 
Senior right-hander Trent Mertz (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) got his first start of the season Saturday after leading the club with five wins in 2011.  He opened with two scoreless innings for KU. Mertz's final line consisted of 4.1 innings on the mound with four strikeouts.
 
Barton cut the lead to one, 6-5, after the fifth inning.  KU wasted no time answering the Bulldog spurt of runs with three of its own in the top of the sixth.  The Golden Bears connected on four hits in the innings as Houck, Albaugh and McCormick each had a RBI.
 
Freshman Matthew Berry led the Bulldogs going 3-for-4. Phillip Williams added a pair of hits and junior Clay Martin belted his third double of the series.  BC's downfall was leaving nine runners on base.
 
Tom Neely (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) and Jason Henderson (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless ball out of the bullpen.  Strong pitching at the back end of the rotation will go a long way in returning KU to the postseason.
 
Kutztown has the next three weeks off until it makes its yearly trip to the Builder Invitational.   KU travels to Hampton, VA on Thursday, Feb. 23 for the four-day tournament.