NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Kutztown University baseball team split its games Saturday at the Builder Invitational at War Memorial Stadium and will advance to the tournament's final on Sunday, Feb. 28.
The Golden Bears (3-5) won their first game against the College of Saint Joseph (VT.) 14-2 after eight innings, but dropped their second 20-1 to Bloomsburg University. KU's 3-1 record was the second best mark of the teams in the field, advancing them to the finals tomorrow at 3 p.m.
KU's offense left right where it left of from the previous two games, collecting 18 hits and 14 runs in the victory over CSJ (0-1).
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) led the Golden Bears with two RBIs, finishing the day two-for-two with a run scored.
Brady McNab (Hatboro, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Frederick C.C.)),
Mike Milazzo (Titusville, N.J./Notre Dame) and
Nick Lafferty (Croydon, Pa./Archbishop Wood) all finished with two RBIs.
Kyle Rogers (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area),
Brady Carras (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) and
Tanner Miller (Elizabethville, Pa./Upper Dauphin) collected one RBI each. It was the most runs scored in a game for Kutztown since the 2014 season.
Peter Masterson (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge),
Dave King (Zerbe, Pa./Minersville),
Kurtis Hultz (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone (Cecil College)) and
Jarrad Choy (Sciota, Pa./Stroudsburg) combined for six strikeouts, allowing eight hits and two earned runs in the win. King was awarded his first victory of the season in his two innings of relief.
Justin Lemanski finished the day 1-of-3 with an RBI for The Fighting Saints.
KU's bats cooled off in the later game, as it ran into a strong performance from Bloomsburg's starting pitcher Mike Warren.
Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) finished the day 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)) chipped in with an RBI.
Warren threw a complete-game (seven innings), allowing just four hits and one run for the Huskies (5-2). Kutztown was only able to manage 10 total base runners. Ryan Kirman went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
Kutztown will return to action tomorrow to try to get revenge on Bloomsburg in the championship game of the Builder Invitational. Bloomsburg took the No. 1 seed while Kutztown finished with the No. 2 seed. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Stats for today's later game against Bloomsburg will be available tomorrow on KUBears.com.
