Senior Day Photo Gallery
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown pitching surrendered just five earned runs on 10 hits in 14 innings of work, but the Golden Bears fell in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader to Shippensburg, 0-2 and 0-5, on Senior Day at North Campus Field on Saturday afternoon.
Prior to the action, KU honored
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)),
Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township),
Kurtis Hultz (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone (Cecil College)),
Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East),
Matt Matricardi (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin),
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)),
Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)),
Zach Schram (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North (Mercer County C.C.)) and
Anthony Atticks (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township (Harford C.C.)).
Mike Kammerer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) had the best performance of the afternoon, coming on for four innings of scoreless relief in game one. He gave up just two hits, while striking out three and walking one.
Clow, the game two starter, held Shippenburg hitless through three innings before surrendering his lone hit in four plus innings to the leadoff hitter in the fourth. The senior's four innings matched a career-high, while his six strikeouts were a new career-best. He was charged with just one earned run.
It was KU who had the first major scoring opportunity in the nightcap after
Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure)) doubled with one out. The next batter grounded out but
Mike Milazzo (Titusville, N.J./Notre Dame) came through with a two-out single to potentially give the Maroon and Gold the lead, only to have Cox thrown out at home by the right fielder.
Clow would face three hitters in the fifth before being pulled with the score still 0-0 and the bases loaded in the fifth. Atticks came on and got the first out on a pop up, but a single on an 0-2 pitch by the next batter drove in two runs, one earned and one unearned, for what turned out to be the game-winning hit.
Atticks got the next two outs to keep the score at 2-0 but after a scoreless bottom of the fifth, Shippensburg added another unearned run to its lead in the sixth.
Kutztown had one final opportunity to cut into the deficit in the bottom half when
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) kept the frame alive with a walk and Cox singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but Shippensburg starter Grant Hoover closed the door by inducing a fly out.
The Raiders (25-18-1, 16-8 PSAC) added two runs in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Cox finished game two 2-for-3, while Bishop also had a sacrifice bunt in addition to his walk.
Atticks worked a scoreless seventh to close the door on his three innings of work. He allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out three.
Hultz, the game one starter, also gave up two earned runs in three innings. He worked around three hits and three walks to keep KU in the game before passing the ball to Kammerer.
Hultz's lone blemish came in the third, where Shippensburg scored the game's only two runs. After scoreless first and second innings, a hit batter with one out led to the game's first run. He advanced to second on a wild pitch before coming around to score on a single. The second out was then recorded, but a two-out double added insurance that the Raiders would not turn out to need.
Kutztown (15-29, 4-20) managed just two base runners in the opener, and neither would reach scoring position.
Ryan Weller (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) drew a two-out walk in the third, while Bishop led off the fourth with a single.
KU returns to North Campus Field on Wednesday to close out its non-conference schedule against Chestnut Hill at 3 p.m.
