KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown University baseball exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning and got five dominant frames on the bump from Trevor Leverington (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) in an 8-4 non-conference victory over Chestnut Hill Wednesday afternoon at North Campus Field.

The Golden Bears, who moved up to ninth in the NCBWA Atlantic Region rankings this week, are off to their best nine-game start since 2015 at 8-1.

It took until the bottom of the third for the KU offense to get rolling when Andy Blum (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) laced a ball into the right center gap to leg out a triple. He would later score on a wild pitch to give the home side a 1-0 edge.
 
The Maroon and Gold bats followed with a monster fourth, scoring seven runs on four hits in the inning.

Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) got the scoring started with an RBI single to left. After Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) was hit by a pitch, Blum went to the gap in right center again, this time supplying a bases-clearing double. The disciplined Golden Bears worked a pair of walks to load the bases for the second time in the inning and senior Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) came through with a two-run single that plated Blum and Jacoby Pate (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) for a 7-0 lead.

With two down in the inning and runners on the corners, newcomer Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) singled in Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) for the seventh run of the inning.
 
The Griffin (3-3) bats would stay silent until the top of the seventh thanks to five strong innings from KU starting pitcher Leverington and a flawless sixth inning by Gavin Grande (Newtown Square, Pa./Malvern Prep). Leverington, a sophomore southpaw who grew up in Kutztown and graduated from Kutztown Area High School, retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced, allowing only a second-inning double. He did not issue a walk and struck out six.

Chestnut Hill broke up the shutout in the seventh as Andrew Dietz doubled to lead off the inning, stole third and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The visitors showed some extra life with three more runs in the eighth to cut Kutztown's lead to 8-4, but they'd get no closer.
 
Jake Skrocki (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) closed the door in the top of the ninth, retiring the Griffins in order with two strikeouts. Leverington earned his first win of the season and second of his career, while Will Shaffer took the loss. Shaffer was tagged for six runs in three innings. He walked five, gave up three hits and struck out three.
 
Blum accounted for a majority of KU's offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. The Pottstown native was the only KU batter with more than one hit and finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Ethan Martini (Feasterville-Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) and Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) each had a double, and Bishop knocked in two runs.
 
Earlier Wednesday it was announced that Friday's home PSAC East doubleheader was moved to Sunday at noon due to expected inclement weather. The Golden Bears next games will now come at Bloomsburg, Saturday, with a doubleheader slated to begin at noon.