MURFREESBORO, N.C. – Starting a brand-new season and playing for a brand-new coach, the Kutztown University baseball team could not have hoped for a better start to its 2020 campaign as it scored 12 runs in the season opener and split a doubleheader with host Chowan University Saturday afternoon, taking game one 12-2 before falling in the nightcap 4-3.
The Golden Bears (1-1 overall) earned a victory the first time they stepped onto the field for the first time in 2020 and also gave first-year head coach
Eric Folmar his first win as a head man in his collegiate debut as a head coach.
It was a brothers' affair as the Moretski brothers, Zach and Gavin, propelled Kutztown's lineup.
Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) finished his day with five hits, going 5-for-7, and finishing with four runs and four RBI in the two games combined.
Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) had three hits, one run and two RBI for KU, as the duo combined for four of their team's five hits in game two.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional), who had that fifth hit in the nightcap, recorded three hits, three RBI and two runs scored on the day.
Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in his lone game catching in the opener.
Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West) got the opening day start on the mound and shined for his team. Conrad threw six strong, allowing just three hits and giving up only one earned run, while striking out eight and walking none in 78 pitches.
Kutztown and Chowan will be back out on the diamond, same time, same place, tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 16, as the two teams will compete in another doubleheader starting at noon.
Kutztown 12, Chowan 2
After a scoreless first inning by both teams, Kutztown went ahead thanks to a three-run second. Z. Moretski and Rossillo began the frame with back-to-back singles to left field to put runners on at first and second and nobody out. G. Moretski then laid down a sacrifice bunt that caused the Hawks' defense fits as they threw it around, allowing two runs to touch home plate.
Mike Piscotty (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover Area) then recorded an RBI groundout to push KU's lead to 3-0.
Chowan got on the board in the bottom of the third with a run and the score remained 3-1 until the fifth when the Maroon and Gold broke it open.
Kutztown sent eight batters to the plate and put up a five-spot to ensure an opening day victory.
Mitch Pinder (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) singled to put two runners on, and then with two outs, Bishop got the scoring going with a base hit to center field. The Moretski brothers then took over as Zach singled down the left field line to score two, and Gavin ripped a two-run double to left for an 8-1 advantage.
In the sixth, Kutztown tacked on four more runs, highlighted by a Bishop two-run single and a Z. Moretski RBI single.
Kody Cracknell (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) pitched the seventh inning to close out the game.
Chowan 4, Kutztown 3
Kutztown actually held a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth inning, with that Moretski duo doubling home runs in the top of the fourth and G. Moretski recording a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the second inning.
But Chowan showed some late-game heroics as it scored three times in the bottom of the sixth on just one hit, and then tallied the game-winning run in the game's final at-bats via a walk with the bases loaded and two outs.
