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WILSON, N.C. – Despite holding a multi-run lead in both contests, the Kutztown University baseball team ended its Spring Break trip with a pair of one-run, walk-off losses at Barton on Saturday afternoon, falling 8-9 in the opener in nine innings before dropping the nightcap 6-7.
Ending its Spring Break trip 2-5, KU will head north over .500 at 8-7 on the young season.
In the opener
Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) became the first Golden Bear since March 5, 2011 to record five hits in a game, while his four runs scored were tied for the most by a Golden Bear since that same date. He also scored four runs earlier in the season on Feb. 26 vs. Bloomsburg. He finished a perfect 5-for-5 with two doubles, and in addition to the four runs, he also stole a base.
Santospago then went 1-for-3 with a walk and a key two-RBI double in a five-run fourth inning in the nighcap to complete his day 6-for-8 with three doubles.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) was the lone Golden Bear with two multi-hit performances on the day. He recorded his second three-hit game of the season in the opener, finishing 3-for-4 with a career-best three RBI, before going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the nightcap.
Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) pitched admirably in relief in the first game to help give Kutztown a chance to comeback, throwing three innings without allowing an earned run. He scattered five hits, struck out two and walked two.
The first game was a back-and-forth affair that featured four lead changes and three ties. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Kutztown had to overcome multiple two-run deficits – 3-5 in the fifth and 5-7 in the seventh - to comeback and force extra innings.
Down to its last at-bat and in need of two runs,
Nick Lafferty (Croydon, Pa./Archbishop Wood) sparked a game-tying rally by leading off with an infield single, and following a strikeout,
Dariel Richardson (Reading, Pa./Reading) walked to put the tying runner on base. An error allowed Lafferty to score and Richardson to move up to third, and instead of
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua)'s fly out to right field ending the game, it instead was a game-tying sacrifice fly that made the score 7-7.
Clow quickly got the first two outs of the bottom half, but a double, intentional walk and base on balls loaded the bases just as quickly and forced the redshirt-senior to bare to down to force extras, which he did on a fly out.
KU carried that momentum into its at-bat and quickly got two runners on when Santospago led off with a single, and
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) followed with a walk. Bishop sacrificed the two up one base before Lafferty was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Despite a strikeout for the second out, Richardson kept his composure with two outs and drew a base on balls to give the Maroon and Gold a chance to secure the win in the bottom half.
Clow nearly was able to do just that despite an error allowing the leadoff hitter to reach third. He got the first out on a ground out and struck out the next batter, but a clutch two-out single sent the game to a ninth inning.
After Kutztown stranded a runner on second in the top of the ninth, Barton finally was able to push across the game-winning run when after a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt, an error on a single allowed the winning run to come around.
Like Santospago, O'Dell also reached base five times in the first game, as he went 2-for-3 with three walks, two RBI, one run and a double.
Likewise, Richardson drew three walks and added an RBI and a run.
After Barton opened the nightcap with two runs in the bottom of the first,
Mitch Pinder (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) got KU on the board with an RBI single in the second.
The two teams then traded three straight scoreless half-innings for the only time all afternoon before Kutztown finally broke out with a five-run fourth that saw the Maroon and Gold bat around the lineup.
Bishop and Lafferty roped back-to-back singles before a fielder's choice gave Kutztown runners on first and third with one away. Again it was Pinder coming through with an RBI single - the first of five straight Golden Bears to reach base – to tie the score at 2-2. After
Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) singled to load the bases, it was Rottet and
Brady Carras (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) proving to be patient as they worked back-to-back walks to double the lead.
A pitching change could not halt the momentum, as it was Santospago delivering the big base-knock, a two-RBI double to right center to extend the advantage to 6-2.
Barton slowly crept its way back into the game with one run in the bottom half before a solo home run and two-out double brought the Bulldogs within one, 5-6, in the fifth.
KU stranded two runners in the top of the sixth, and Barton took advantage with the tying run via a squeeze.
After 1-2-3 top of the seventh, an error to open the bottom half led to the eventual game-winning run. The next batter walked, and after a sacrifice bunt, Barton won its second consecutive game in walk-off fashion on a single.
Aside from Bishop, Pinder was the only other Golden Bear with multiple hits in the nightcap, as he registered the first multi-hit and multiple-RBI performance of his collegiate career.
KU will have nearly a week off as it returns Northto play at Wilmington on Tuesday, March 21 at 3 p.m.
