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WILSON, N.C. – Reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Pitcher of the Week Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West (Clarion)) allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in six innings, and the offense backed him with a six-run fifth inning as the Kutztown University baseball team opened its Spring Break trip with a 9-1 victory over Fairmont State on Friday night at Felming Stadium.

Conrad improved to 2-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 11.0 innings. He retired the first eight batters he faced with five strikeouts, including striking out the side in the second inning. The sophomore-transfer had a no-hitter going through 3.1 innings and would not allow a runner to reach scoring position in his six innings of work. He also struck out the side in the fifth before working his fourth 1-2-3 frame in the sixth to end his dominant performance.  
 
Despite this, KU (7-2) was only leading 1-0 through five and a half innings thanks to Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional)'s RBI fielder's choice in bottom of the fourth that scored Mike Milazzo (Titusville, N.J./Notre Dame), who had led off the frame with a walk. The Maroon and Gold had threatened in each frame as it left five runners on base through its first four at-bats before finally breaking the game open in the fifth.
 
Kutztown sent 11 to the plate in the six-run inning, highlighted by Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) leading off with a single before capping the scoring with another single to make the score 7-0.
 
Following the leadoff single, an error brought Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure)) to the plate, and he doubled the lead with an RBI single to score Rottet. After a strikeout, Milazzo, Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) and Bishop each drove in a run on a single to make the score 5-0. Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) added an RBI single of his own before Rottet put an exclamation point on the frame.
 
KU answered Fairmont State's lone run in the top of the seventh with one of its own in the bottom half of the frame on an error before Justin Afflerbach (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) capped the scoring with an RBI groundout.
 
Cox and O'Dell each led the Kutztown offense with career-best 3-for-3 days at the plate. They both also scored once and stole a base in addition to their RBI singles.
 
Rottet was the only other Golden Bear with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-5 with a run and RBI.
 
Bishop also reached base twice by going 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBI, one run and a stolen base.
 
Peter Masterson (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) and Anthony DeVito (Philadelphia, Pa./Central (Mercer County C.C.)) finished off a dominant Kutztown pitching performance by combining to strikeout five in three relief innings. Masterson surrendered one run on three hits with three strikeouts in 2.0 innings, while DeVito gave up one hit with two strikeouts in the ninth.
 
KU continues play in Wilson tomorrow with two more games. The Golden Bears play West Virginia State at 4 p.m. before taking on PSAC opponent Clarion afterwards at 7 p.m.