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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Freshman Travis Kreitz (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) of the Kutztown University baseball team hit a grand slam in Monday's opener of a doubleheader against Chestnut Hill College to push KU to a 7-1 victory.  Chestnut Hill responded with a 4-2 win in the nightcap at North Campus Field.
 
The Golden Bears (21-9) are currently ranked 30th in the latest Collegiate Baseball Magazine top poll released Monday afternoon.  They also remain fourth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region poll.  However, the NCAA regional poll released later this month will play the deciding factor in regional playoff seeding's.
 
Kreitz's bomb was part of a six-run third inning for Kutztown.  It loaded the bases with one out to bring senior Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) to the plate.  He was hit by a pitch to score KU's first run.  Junior catcher Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) kept the scoring run going with an RBI single up the middle to score Cody Montz (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven) (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Schuylkill Haven).  Kreitz followed Albaugh and cleared the bases with a towering shot to right center field.  It was his only hit of the day and second home run of the season.
 
Junior right hander J.R. Seader (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway/ Maryland-Baltimore County) (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) got the nod for KU in the opener.  He let up a run in the first inning off back-to-back hits with two outs, but settled in nicely from there on.  Seader threw five innings and picked up his first win of the season.  He struck out three batters and allowed five hits.  The junior was very efficient on the mound, only needing to throw 65 pitches.
 
KU tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Senior Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) (St. Clair, Pottsville) hit an RBI single with one out to score Houck from third base.
 
Dom Raia let up the six runs in the third and picked up the loss for the Griffins (15-11).  Bobby Hopkins started for CHC and threw two innings of no-hit ball.
 
Montz also stole his 12th bag of the year in the opener.
 
The hitting slowed down for the Golden Bears in the nightcap.  They had just four hits as the Griffins used five pitchers to earn the split.
 
Chestnut Hill scored the first run in the second inning off an infield error.  KU matched the run with a Brandon Hickey (Mountville, PA/Hempfield) (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) RBI single up the middle in the fourth to score Kreitz, who reached on a walk.
 
CHC responded with two runs the following inning which proved to be insurmountable for KU.
 
Sophomore Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) started for KU.  He allowed three runs – two earned – in 4.1 innings on the mound.  He struck out two batters and let up five hits.
 
Fellow sophomore Jason Henderson (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) went the rest of the way for KU.  He didn't allow an earned run in the final 2.2 innings with all of his outs (eight) coming by strikeout.
 
Alex Latchum went 2-for-4 in the finale for the Griffins.  Jim Goodwin Jr. picked up the win in relief to push his record to 3-0.
 
Kutztown has the rest of the week off and will take its conference weekend off as well.  It returns to action on Tuesday, Apr. 10 for a single game against Wilmington at 3 p.m. at North Campus Field.