Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



WINGATE, N.C. – Kutztown University won its season opener in extra innings, but dropped the nightcap to split a doubleheader at Wingate.
 
In the opener, John Dockins (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson (Frederick CC)) singled up the middle to score Travis Kreitz (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) in the ninth inning to lift Kutztown to an 8-7 victory.
 
Kreitz was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice by Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn).
 
KU had opened the scoring with a two-run second inning.  Kreitz doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Albaugh knocked him home with a single and later scored on a fielder's choice by Brandon Shurr (Bernville, PA/Schuylkill Valley).
 
Kutztown added three more runs in the third inning.  Brett Hauck (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) was hit by a pitch, Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) singled and Carson Baker (Lehman, PA/Lake-Lehman (Lackawanna)) walked to load the bases with one out.  Albaugh followed with a base hit that never left the infield to make it 3-0, scoring Hauck.  A two-run single to rightfield by Brandon Hickey (Mountville, PA/Hempfield) stretched the lead to 5-0.
 
The Bulldogs scored in each of the next three innings to tie the score at 5-5.  In the bottom of the third, Michael Godinez doubled down the leftfield line to score Michael Benitez for the first Wingate run.  Josh Clark and Brad Cherry followed with RBI doubles in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the inning by Benitez cut the Kutztown lead to 5-4.  The Bulldogs then tied the score in the fifth on run scoring double by Brian Yeung.
 
The Golden Bears reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Ricky Gorrell (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) doubled and Hauck singled to put runners on second and third with one out.  Stoudt knocked in Gorrell with an RBI single to make it 6-5.
 
The back and forth continued in the seventh when Wingate tied the game on a single by Grant McCoury that drove in Yeung.
 
Both teams scored in the eighth inning.  KU went ahead 7-6 in the top half of the frame.  Gorrell drew a one out walk and moved to second on a ground out.  Stoudt singled to third, but a throwing error allowed Gorrell to give the Golden Bears the lead.
 
Cherry led off the bottom half of the eighth with a solo homer to left to once again tie the game at 7-7. 
 
After Dockins drove in Kreitz for the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, Connor Wing (West Chester, PA/Unionville) locked down the save in the ninth.  Wing set the Bulldogs down in order, striking out two.
 
Jordan Garcia (Mount Carmel, PA/Fleetwood) picked up the win in relief.  He entered the game with two outs in the seventh and went 1.1 innings, allowing one run.  
 
Stoudt went 3-for-4 for Kutztown, scored once and drove in another run.  He also walked once to reach base four times in the game. Hauck, Albaugh, Dockins, Gorrell, and Hickey all had two-hit efforts and Albaugh and Hickey both drove in two runs. Hauck and Hickey were hit by pitches and reached base three times.
 
Yeung led Wingate with three hits.
 
Tyler Brown took the loss for the Bulldogs.  He pitched the eighth and ninth and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and a walk. 
 
In game two, Wingate scored six times in the first three innings and went on to win 6-3 to earn the split of the doubleheader.
 
Kutztown got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the first inning.  Hauck led off the game with a single and later scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.  WU's Josh Clark tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Thomas Romano (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) singled to start the KU second inning and moved to second on a ground out.  Clay Sebesky (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East) drove him home with his first hit as a Golden Bear, an RBI single through the right side of the infield.  Hauck drew a two-out walk to move Sebesky into scoring position.  Stoudt then drove home Sebesky with a single through the left side. 
 
The Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half on a bases loaded double by Eric Sierra. Godinez and Thomas Spitz had RBI base hits in the third to make it 6-3.
 
Hauck and Stoudt had two hits apiece for Kutztown to continue their strong afternoons.  Stoudt had five hits in the doubleheader, one more than Hauck. 
 
Sierra had two hits in the nightcap for Wingate.
 
Stephen Vaughn threw a complete game for the win.  He scattered nine hits and a walk and struck out nine.
 
Tom Neely (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) took the loss, allowing all six runs, five earned, in 2.2 innings.  The bullpen came on to throw 3.1 scoreless innings. J.R. Seader (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway/ Maryland-Baltimore County) threw 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and a walk.  Gilbert Vega (Lancaster, PA/J.P. McCaskey) threw a scoreless fifth and Jordan Gottshall (Birdsboro, PA/Exeter Township) blanked Wingate in the sixth.
 
The two teams wrap up a three-game series on Sunday, February 10 at 1 p.m.