NORTH WALES, Pa. -- Brian Finn (Warrington, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) and
Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) each smacked three-run home runs as the Kutztown University baseball team recorded its highest run and hit totals of the season in a 17-10 non-conference win at Chestnut Hill Tuesday night.
Five Golden Bears had multiple hits led by
Mike Kelly's (Schwenksville, Pa./Pope John Paul II) 4-for-6 performance at the dish. Moretski was 3-for-6, while Finn,
Colin Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) and
Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) had two apiece.
Most of Kutztown's (11-34) damage came in the third and eighth innings when they put six spots on the board.
After surrendering a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, KU started its climb back with a two-run single down the right field line by
Ethan Martini in the top of the third. A fielding error by the Griffins (20-24) with two outs allowed Martini to score and prolonged the inning. The very next batter, Finn, unloaded to right for second homer of the season to put the Bears in front, 6-4.
Chestnut Hill reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth, but gave it right back in the fifth. Colin Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) singled home Brandon Heere (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) to draw the Maroon and Gold within one. Colt Narsico followed with a two-run double to put KU back in front, 9-8.
Kutztown pushed its lead to 11-8 in the top of the seventh, but the Griffins answered with an Andrew Dietz solo shot and sacrifice fly from Corbin Dunnuck in their half of the inning, trimming the Bears' lead to 11-10.
Behind RBI singles from Finn and Narsico, a run-scoring double by Mike Kelly (Schwenksville, Pa./Pope John Paul II) and Gavin Moretski's (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) three-run homer, Kutztown exploded for six runs on four hits in the top of the eighth to ultimately put the game out of reach.
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) started on the bump for the Golden Bears, throwing three innings for his second win of the season. Tyler Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) also tossed three frames, before Trevor Leverington (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) (seventh) and Dalton Geiger (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) (eighth and ninth) combined for three hitless, scoreless innings of relief. Geiger struck out a team-high four.
Five errors compounded Chestnut Hill's pitching issues, with just six of the 17 runs scored against Griffin arms being of the earned variety. Starter Will Shaffer took the loss, allowing nine runs (three earned) on eight hits over four innings.
Kutztown concludes its season at home tomorrow against Caldwell. Earlier in the day, the teams agreed to switch Wednesday's meeting from a doubleheader to a single nine-inning game. First pitch is now slated for 3 p.m.
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