Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



Kutztown 4, Lock Haven 2 (HTML Box Score)
 
Kutztown 1, Lock Haven 0 (HTML Box Score)
 
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team had both of its starting pitchers pick up victories and its sophomore closer notch two saves in 4-2 and 1-0 wins over Lock Haven University on Friday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader.
 
The Golden Bears (21-16, 9-13 PSAC East) remain alive in the hunt for the postseason with the pair of wins over the Bald Eagles (11-22, 3-17). Kutztown sits in sixth place in the East, and is one game out of fifth place (Shippensburg) and three games out of fourth place (East Stroudsburg). KU will play a four-game set against ESU in the final weekend of the regular season.
 
Sophomore Matt Swarmer (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) earned the save in both of the wins, improving his team-high mark to eight this season. Brandon Shimo (Jermyn, PA/Lakeland (Lackawanna)) earned the win in the opener with 5.2 innings of work. He allowed nine hits and struck out five batters with one walk.
 
Kutztown walked in a run to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Lock Haven responded with two runs in its next team at-bat off a pair of base hits. KU scored its following three runs in the fifth inning. It tied the game on a fielding error by the LHU second baseman, and took a 4-2 lead off a two-run single by freshman Brandon Cholish (Peckville, PA/Valley View (Lackawanna)).
 
Shimo turned a double play with runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth inning, but was pulled with a runner on third with two outs. Matt Matricardi (Dresher, PA/Upper Dublin) came in and forced a pop up to end the inning. Matricardi remained in the game in the seventh for the save, but walked the leadoff batter and was relieved by Swarmer.
 
Kutztown had six hits in the opener, all from different hitters. Brandon Martinez (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) stole his 26th base for fourth in school history in a single-season, one behind third place and four off of the school record. The PSAC single-season record is 45. Martinez has 48 in his career, fifth in KU history.
 
Zach Wasson (Pottstown, PA/Boyertown (Montgomery CC)) also pitched 5.2 innings for KU in the nightcap in his first victory of the season. He struck out four batters with no walks while allowing five hits. Swarmer came in with two outs in the sixth inning for the 1.1 inning save. Swarmer inherited two runners, but forced a groundout to end the threat.
 
With runners on the corners in the fourth inning and one out, Cholish dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score a speedy Martinez from third base for the 1-0 lead.
 
The Golden Bears return home on Saturday, April 19 for Senior Day against Lock Haven beginning at 1 p.m. from North Campus Field.