Box Score



Boxscore
 
ETTRICK, Va. – Early runs and another great pitching performance told the tale of the Kutztown University baseball team's 8-2 victory over Virginia State University Wednesday afternoon.  
 
The Golden Bears (10-3) wrap up their three-day spring break trip with a 3-1 record.  It saw contributions up and down the lineup and heads into conference play riding a three game winning streak.
 
Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) and Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) combined for seven of KU's 14 hits on the afternoon.  Both right handers opened the day with RBI singles to give KU a 3-0, first inning lead for the third consecutive game.     
 
Houck had three singles and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks.  He scored two runs and improved his average to .357 and currently leads the team in hits (15) and runs (14).  Rubendall had a season-high four hits in his five plate appearances.  Along with his RBI single in the first, the junior catcher drove in freshman Travis Kreitz (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) on a double to left field in his next at bat in the third inning. 
 
Meanwhile, a trio of KU hurlers held Virginia State (8-9) to just four hits and only one earned run.  VSU was held scoreless for the first five innings, largely due to the performance by sophomore right hander Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights).  He struck out three batters and allowed just one hit in his four innings on the mound.
 
Fellow sophomore Colin Holmes (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) relieved Stoudt in the fifth and held the KU lead with three innings of work.  He picked up his first win of the season.  VSU managed two runs in the sixth against Holmes off an infield error and a wild pitch. 
 
Leading 4-2 in the eighth, a pair of upperclassman came up with some timely hitting to seal the KU victory.  With two outs, junior Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) pinch hit and drove one the other way to right field to score Brett Hauck (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) and Brandon Shurr (Bernville, PA/Schuylkill Valley) (Bernville, Pa./Schuylkill Valley).  Senior Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) (St. Clair, Pa./Pottsville) drove in Albaugh the following at bat with an RBI single to center field.  Both eighth innings hits were the only hits of the day for Albaugh and Buletza.
 
Brandon Hickey (Mountville, PA/Hempfield) (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) drove in a run in the ninth to close out the offensive attack.
 
Junior Billy Felo (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin/Chesapeake College) (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) threw the final two innings on the mound for KU.  He struck out two and walked two while not allowing a hit.
 
No one on Virginia State had more than one hit.  Sophomore Percy Evans picked up the lone VSU RBI in the sixth.  Fellow sophomore Brandon Copper was credited with the loss for the Trojans.  He allowed four runs and walked three batters in his three innings on the mound.
 
Kutztown now moves onto conference play with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend.  It hosts on Shippensburg University on Friday, Mar. 16 with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.  KU will then travel to Ship for two games on Saturday.