The Golden Bears baseball team dropped two games Friday to Shepherd University in the opening day of their weekend series. The Rams took game one 8-2 after a strong pitching performance from their starter Steven Bowley, not allowing a hit until the sixth inning. Kutztown's offense showed more life scoring seven runs on seven hits but was not able to overcome Shepherds fifteen runs scored, falling 15-7.
Shepherd 8, Kutztown 2
Both offenses were off to a slow start, with only one hit until the third inning. In the top of the third the Rams opened up the scoring, bringing one runner across the plate after Cole Daughtery hit a solo homerun.
Shepherd's lead would grow to eight the next inning, scoring seven runs on six hits in the inning. The Rams had 10 batters come to the plate that inning after the first four all had hits and first six hitters reached base safely.
Kody Cracknell (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) would come in to pitch for the Golden Bears in the top of the fifth inning, shutting down the Shepherd offense striking out five batters in the next three innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Maroon and Gold showed signs of life, Ethan Martini (Feasterville-Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) got the ball rolling with a single to right field. Martini would advance to third after Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) doubled over the left fielder's head. Both would come around to score on a single to right center by Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood).
Kutztown would be shut out in the seventh stranding one base runner on third. Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) takes the loss for Kutztown moving to 0-2 on the year. Bowley gets his second win of the year for the Rams.
Shepherd 15, Kutztown 7
The Rams got off to a quick start after their leadoff hitter doubled on the first pitch of the game, he would eventually come around to score on a sac fly. Shepherd would score two runs in the top of the first on two hits, getting out to an early lead over the Golden Bears.
Kutztown would score their first run of the game in the bottom of the second when Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) launched a solo homerun to left field, bringing Shepherds lead to within one.
Shepherd would take advantage of a throwing error in the top of the third scoring an unearned run on one hit, the Maroon and Gold would get out of the jam and leave two runners on base.
In the bottom half of the inning KU would continue to try to fight back scoring another run to keep the Ram's lead to only one. Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) would get to first safely after a fielding error by the shortstop. Moretski would eventually be driven in by a double down the left field line by Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional).
Shepherd would score three more runs in the top of the fourth inning on three hits, their first two batters would reach base safely after a double down the line and a single to left field. Both runners would score on a single to center field . The third run of the inning would come across the plate after a wild pitch made its way to the backstop.
The Rams would go on to score 9 more runs in the next two inning on seven hits only leaving one runner on base in that time.
The Maroon and Gold made their best attempt to keep up the Shepherds offense, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a three-run homerun by Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional). Two more runs would score for the Golden Bears in the top of the sixth. Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) would get his first career hit, a double over the center fielder's head putting two runners in scoring position, both would end up scoring that inning.
Matt Ziminsky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) takes the loss for Kutztown moving to 2-1 on the year. Nate Hodgkinson gets his first win of the year for the Rams.
