BEL AIR, Md. – A four-run seventh inning propelled the Kutztown University baseball team to its third straight win and a 5-1 start to the season, as the Golden Bears defeated Slippery Rock 4-1 on Saturday in a neutral matchup at the Hartford Complex.
With Slippery Rock leading 1-0 through six innings, the game-winning rally came after
Matt Matricardi (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) came on in relief to strand the bases loaded in the top half of the seventh. Entering from the bullpen with runners on second and third and two away, he walked the first hitter he faced before ending the threat with a strikeout to keep KU close.
The Kutztown offense responded with three of its four hits in bottom half of the inning, while also taking advantage of a Slippery Rock error to score three unearned runs.
Zach Schram (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North (Mercer County C.C.)) began the rally with a leadoff walk before
Mike Milazzo (Titusville, N.J./Notre Dame) and
Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) lined back-to-back singles to load the bases for
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)), who evened the score at 1-1 with an RBI groundout while also advancing runners to second and third.
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) then put KU on top with a ground ball to shortstop, which he reached first on because of an error. This proved important after the next batter flew out, which would have ended the inning. Instead
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) came to the plate with two outs and a chance to extend the Maroon and Gold's lead, which he did with a two-RBI double to make the score 4-1.
Matricardi did more than enough to make sure that lead held as he worked 1-2-3 innings in both the eighth and ninth to complete a hitless 2.1 innings of relief - .1 innings shy of his career-long outing-to earn the win. He struck out four and walked just one, the first hitter he faced, before going on to retire seven in a row.
Matricardi completed an impressive pitching performance for Kutztown that also included
Mike Kammerer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) and
David Brown (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham).
Kammerer went the first five innings and allowed just the one run on a sacrifice fly in the third. He scattered six hits, while striking out four against just one walk.
Brown then came on for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, in which he allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one before passing the ball to Matricardi.
Offensively, Schram reached base three times by going 1-for-2 with a walk, hit by pitch and run scored.
Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure)) also reached base three times by working three base on balls.
Milazzo finished 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch.
Slippery Rock Starter Alex Pantuso went the first six innings and struck out 14, while giving up just one hit.
The only inning in which two runners were left on base prior to Slippery Rock stranding the bases loaded in the seventh came in the bottom of the first after Rottet reached first on a strikeout and wild pitch and stole second before Cox walked.
The two teams conclude their weekend series today, March 5, with a doubleheader that begins at 12 p.m.
