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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team opened its annual Senior Day with six consecutive base runners that led to seven first-inning runs against Mansfield University.  It went on to take the opening game of Saturday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game 9-0 before dropping the finale at North Campus Field, 6-3.
 
With the split, the Golden Bears (31-15 overall, 14-10 PSAC East) earned the No. 3 seed in next week's upcoming PSAC Tournament in Butler, Pa.  KU will face the No. 2 seed in the West, Gannon (25-21, 14-10), on Wednesday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. at Pullman Park.  For complete PSAC Championship coverage, please click here.
 
Before Saturday's doubleheader, seniors Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) (St. Clair, Pa./Pottsville), Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown), Trent Mertz (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), Cody Montz (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven) (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Schuylkill Haven), Andrew Otterberg (Wall Township, N.J./Wall Township) (Wall Township, N.J./Wall Township), Dominick Ruscitti (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville-Newbaugh/Dominican College) (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville-Newbaugh), and Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) were honored for their time in the maroon-and-gold.
 
KU tallied six hits in the opening inning on its way to a dominant start.  Montz opened the day with a single, and was the eventual first run to score of the day.  Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) and Houck worked back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs. 
 
Before KU plated its runs, there may have been a bit of foreshadowing to help the Golden Bears with their high level of production.  Play was stopped momentarily for a squirrel running around the infield that brought reminiscence of the St. Louis Cardinals' famous 'rally squirrel' in the 2011 MLB World Series.
 
Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn), Sean McCormick (West Chester, PA/Henderson) (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) and Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) each drove in RBI singles to put KU on the board.  Thomas Romano (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and Buletza hit sacrifice flies the next two at-bats, as Montz and Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) drove in the final two runs of the inning.
 
Freshman right hander Connor Wing (West Chester, PA/Unionville) (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) started the opener and was terrific in his second start of the year.  In three innings, Wing didn't allow a runner past second base as he allowed two hits with one strikeout.
 
KU tacked on one more in the second inning off an RBI single from Romano to score Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights).  Romano and Albaugh led KU with two RBIs apiece. 
 
Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) stole two bases in the opener to bring his season total to ten.
 
Corey Snyder (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) relieved Wing in the fourth and threw three innings of two-hit ball.  The right hander had a pair of strikeouts with one walk.
 
Junior Gilbert Vega (Lancaster, PA/J.P. McCaskey) (Lancaster, Pa./McCaskey), typically an outfielder, came in to pitch for the first time in his career.  Vega did not look like a first-time pitcher, however, as he didn't allow a Mountaineer hit in the seventh inning.
 
Mansfield (14-35, 6-18) pitcher Eric Conway was the story of the nightcap.  He threw a complete game and tossed 148 pitches to limit KU to just four hits.  All three runs were earned against the senior as he struck out five and walked six.
 
MU led from the opening inning off a two-out RBI double from Matt Fisher.  The Mounties broke it up open with a five-run fourth inning. 
 
Ricky Gorrell (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) gave KU some offensive life with an RBI in the fifth inning.  Junior Brett Hauck (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) also drove in a run in the fifth.  Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) connected on a long double with one out in the sixth and would go on to score and bring the Mansfield lead to three at 6-3.
 
Mertz started the nightcap and threw two innings for KU.  He allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts. 
 
Before the conference tournament, Kutztown will play its annual game at First Energy Stadium on Monday, Apr. 30 at 6:35 p.m. against Albright College.  Fans planning on making the trip to Reading can purchase tickets at the door.