KUTZTOWN, Pa. –
Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.))'s walk-off double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh broke a 2-2 tie, and gave the Kutztown University baseball team a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader split with East Stroudsburg after a 3-1 extra-innings loss in game one on Sunday afternoon at North Campus Field.
With extra innings looming for the second game in a row,
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) led off the seventh with a single.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him up to second and would reach himself thanks to a fielding error to give KU runners on first and second with zero outs.
The next two batters would strikeout though, setting the stage for Santospago. The senior took the first pitch he saw for a ball before roping the next one down the right field line to easily score Rottet and set off the celebration.
The walk-off put a stamp on a spectacular pitching performance by the Kutztown pitching staff in game two. Starter
Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West (Clarion))'s lone blemish came on a two-run home run that momentarily put East Stroudsburg on top 2-1 in the fourth. He would retire the nine of the last 10 hitters he faced though, surrendering just those two earned runs on four hits in his six innings of work. He struck out five against one walk and a hit batter.
Matt Matricardi (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) would come on to work a 1-2-3 top of the seventh with a strikeout to earn his second win of the season.
KU (12-15, 3-7 PSAC) got the game-two scoring started in the first when
Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure))'s single drove in Rottet, who had led off the frame with a single. The Golden Bears then quickly answered the fourth inning ESU home run as
Zack Delp (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) laced a one-out double to left field. Two hitters later,
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)) tied the score with two outs with a clutch double of his own.
Rottet led the offense in the nightcap, reaching base all four times he came to the plate as he finished 3-for-3 with two runs and a walk.
Eppley went 2-for-3 with the RBI.
In game one, Kutztown als got a brilliant performance from its starter.
Anthony Atticks (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township (Harford C.C.)) was cruising through five innings as just one runner reached scoring position. A walk, stolen base and single allowed a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the afternoon in the sixth.
Atticks collected himself to strand a runner on third in the next-at bat in what turned out to be his final pitch of the game. He pitched six strong innings, allowing just the one run on four hits. He struck out four, walked two and hit one batter.
It was Rottet who had the answer for KU in the bottom of the sixth as he led off with a double. Bishop laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move him up to third that turned into a single when there was not even a throw.
Rottet would then come in to tie the score at 1-1 on a double play ground ball.
Matricardi and
Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) each pitched a scoreless inning or relief as the game headed to extra innings, but Kutztown could not win the game in either the seventh or eighth.
East Stroudsburg (12-13-1, 3-6-1) would finally break the tie in the ninth thanks to leadoff double. After a wild pitch gave the Warriors a runner on third with none away,
Anthony DeVito (Philadelphia, Pa./Central (Mercer County C.C.)) came close to stranding him by getting the next two outs, but a clutch first-pitch-swinging single put ESU on top for good. The next hitter doubled, also on the first pitch, to add insurance.
KU threatened with two runners in the bottom half of the frame after Santospago kept the game alive with a two-out single and Eppley was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout ended the threat and sealed the East Stroudsburg victory in the opener.
The two teams will look to break the deadlock in the series when they hit the diamond again tomorrow for a doubleheader at East Stroudsburg beginning at 1 p.m.
