HTML Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2WILSON, N.C. – The Kutztown University baseball team opened its 2015 campaign on Saturday with a sweep over Pitt-Johnstown in a doubleheader. KU's
Matt Swarmer picked up the win in a 5-1 game one victory, and
Paul Piromalli recorded the win in an 8-3 game two victory.
Swarmer led Kutztown in game one with four innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven batters and allowed four hits. KU's three relievers combined for three innings of two-hit ball to preserve Swarmer's first win of the season.
Eric Hartranft relieved Swarmer in the fifth and allowed two hits, as
Matt Matricardi and
Dave King pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, and did not allow any hits. Notably, King struck out two of his three batters faced.
The Golden Bears struck first with two runs in the second and third innings. KU took advantage of an error by the UPJ catcher to plate its first run.
Brandon Hickey drove in
Thomas Romano with an RBI single, and Hickey scored the following at-bat off an RBI double from
Drew DeShong for a 2-0 KU lead.
In the third, newcomer
Ben Eppley walked to lead off the inning, stole second, advanced to third on an error by the UPJ shortstop and scored on an error by the UPJ first baseman.
Ricky Gorrell reached base on a single through all the UPJ errors, and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Travis Kreitz.
UPJ's lone run in the season-opener for KU came off a leadoff homer in the second inning.
Kutztown broke open a tie game in the top of the seventh with five unanswered runs in its 8-3 victory. KU led 2-1 through two with an RBI by Eppley, UPJ tied the game in the third, and the teams traded runs in the fifth to lead up to the final inning.
Hickey drove in the game-winning run with KU's third straight single to open the seventh inning, scoring
Brandon Martinez.
Brandon Cholish,
Clay Sebesky and Eppley all drove in runs with singles in KU's five-run inning.
Pat Flynn started the second game for KU. He pitched 4.1 innings, struck out five batters and allowed three runs – one earned. The bullpen did its job yet again in the nightcap, allowing two combined hits over the final 2.2 innings.
Cameron Mathis notched two strikeouts in an inning of work,
Paul Piromalli pitched an inning of one-hit ball to pick up the win, and
Peter Masterson closed out the game for KU by striking out both of his batters faced.
Kutztown returns to action on Sunday, March 8 with a doubleheader against Clarion beginning at 10 a.m.
