NEW CASTLE, Del. – Eight Golden Bear pitchers combined to limit Wilmington to just one run on three hits, and the offense came through with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, as the Kutztown University baseball team closed its season-opening stretch of 16 games outside the state of Pennsylvania with a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon.
The ninth inning rally began with
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.))'s infield single with one out before
Zach Schram (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North (Mercer County C.C.)) followed with a single of his own.
Jeff Zebrowski (Chester Springs, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) was called upon to pinch hit, and he came through by working a walk to load the bases and force a pitching change. The relief pitcher was able to strike out the first hitter he faced, but a wild pitch with two outs would allow Eppley cross home for the eventual game-winning run.
The only KU (9-7) pitcher to throw more than one frame,
Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West (Clarion)) came on in the bottom half and secured the victory with his second straight 1-2-3 inning to improve to 3-0.
Although no Golden Bear had more than one hit,
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) did reach base three times by finishing 1-for-2 with two walks and a triple that led to the game's first run in the top of the sixth.
Justin Afflerbach (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) also reached base twice by going 1-for-2 with a walk.
In a battle of pitcher by committee, in order,
Kurtis Hultz (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone (Cecil College)),
Anthony Atticks (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township (Harford C.C.)),
Gavilan Fogarty-Harnish (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata),
Josh Houser (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock (Harford C.C.)) and
Mike Kammerer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) each pitched a scoreless inning, with Houser striking out two in his 1-2-3 frame in the fourth.
It took the leadoff triple by Rottet in the top of the sixth to finally turn into the first run of the afternoon. Although the next hitter struck out,
Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) produced the first run with an RBI groundout.
After a one-out single in the bottom half, control issues led to back-to-back walks to load the bases, and Wilmington took advantage with a sacrifice fly to quickly tie the score. The Wildcats looked to carry that momentum into its next at-bat in the seventh when back-to-back two-out singles and stolen bases put runners on second and third, but
Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was able to bare down and keep the score tied by inducing a groundout.
KU had a similar opportunity in the top of the eighth, when Rottet walked and
Nick Lafferty (Croydon, Pa./Archbishop Wood) singled with one away, only to come away empty-handed.
Kutztown also had the first major opportunity of the afternoon in the second inning when
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) led off with a walk and
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) followed with a single to give the Maroon and Gold runners on first and second with none away. Eppley sacrificed the two up one baseeach , but KU was unable to push the opening run across.
Wilmington (8-6) had a runner reach second in both the third and fifth but was unable to advance them any further.
Kutztown begins Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play, and finally plays its first game in the Keystone State, on Friday, March 24 when it travels to face defending league champion Millersville for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The two teams will then face off for another doubleheader, also beginning at 1 p.m., at North Campus Field the next day for the Golden Bears' home-opener.
