KU-WCU Series Stats HTML Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Just as its opponent did yesterday, the Kutztown University baseball team took advantage of opposing fielding errors against West Chester University on Tuesday as it split the second half of a four-game series with a 10-8 game one loss, and a redeeming 9-5 win in the nightcap.
The Golden Bears (10-6, 2-6 PSAC East) notched 11 hits in its game one setback, but nearly overcame a 10-3 deficit with five runs in the seventh inning and putting the potential game-tying run on base.
West Chester led 9-0 in the fourth inning, bringing the KU bullpen into the game. KU's relievers stopped the bleeding with 3.2 innings of work and allowed one hit and no earned runs.
Kutztown batted around in the seventh inning to put itself one swing away from winning the game. With one out, KU knocked six straight singles to trail 10-6 with one out.
Brandon Hickey,
Brady Carras and
Brandon Cholish each had RBI during the run.
Down four with runners on second and third, pinch-hitter
Matthew Armour stepped up and nearly tied the game with a grand slam; but the long fly ball fell short of the wall to go down as a sacrifice fly to right field to advance the lead runners and bring KU within three at 10-7. With the game-tying run at the plate, KU hit a groundball to third in the next at-bat that looked like the end of the game, but an error on the West Chester third baseman prolonged the inning, scored the runner from third to cut KU's deficit to 10-8, and put the potential game-tying run on first base. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, a strikeout ended the game in the final at-bat.
Ryan Cox,
Travis Kreitz and
Drew DeShong each had multi-hit games in the opener for Kutztown.
Armour gave Kutztown a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a RBI single in the nightcap. The teams traded runs in the third as the game was tied 2-2 through three.
West Chester committed two errors in the fourth, as
Brady McNab drove in the first of his four RBI in the game to give KU a 3-2 lead. West Chester tied the game at 3-3 the following half inning off a two-out RBI single.
Six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning made the ultimate difference in game two. Following a WCU error and a catcher's interference call, Cholish hit a two-run single, McNab hit a bases-clearing double with the bases loaded, and Armour capped the inning with a RBI single for a 9-3 KU lead.
West Chester hit a two-run homer in the seventh to cap the scoring on Tuesday.
Eric Hartranft picked up his first win of the year with 1.1 innings of no-hit ball.
Kutztown is set to return to action on Friday, March 27 at home against Mansfield University beginning at 1 p.m., but stay tuned to
www.KUBears.com for any possible schedule updates.
