WILSON, N.C.-- The Kutztown University baseball team (6-4) won two games to conclude the weekend at the Wilson Hobs Tournament down in North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
The Golden Bears first defeated The College of Saint Rose 8-2, before taking down Glenville State 10-2 in the second game of the day. The first game against the Pioneers was a continuation of Saturday's suspended contest. Glenville State then bounced back and defeated KU 1-0 in a modified seven-inning contest to conclude the day.
KU heads back to North Campus Field for the first time this season on Tuesday, March 7 to host non-conference opponent Chestnut Hill. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.
Game 1: Kutztown 8, The College of Saint Rose 2
The Golden Bears started the day hot at the plate, scoring five runs in the first two innings in an 8-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) got the party going early, getting Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) across with an RBI double to make it 1-0. Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) followed that up with an RBI single, along with a fielder choice from Antonio Rossillo's (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) following at-bat made it 3-0 KU after one. In the second, an error from the Golden Knights' right fielder and a Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) sac fly helped the Golden Bears extend the lead to 5-0.
In the fifth inning, Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) roped a ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run and a 7-0 KU lead. A solo shot from Moretski in the sixth then made it 8-0. The Golden Knights put two runs across the plate in the seventh, but that wasn't enough as KU held on for the 8-2 win.
Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) got the start on the bump for KU and was dominant, allowing only three hits in six innings pitched. He earned the win while Tom Cattaneo took the loss for Saint Rose. Gavin Grande (Newtown Square, Pa./Malvern Prep) and Cody Barberio (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) both came into the game in relief and pitched some clutch innings down the stretch.
Moretski and Wolff both went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Brian Finn (Warrington, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) was the other Golden Bear with a multi-hit game, also going 2-for-4 at the plate. Kerley and Peers had the other RBI in the win.
Game 2: Kutztown 10, Glenville State 2
Game two was a lot of the same for the Golden Bears, as the bats stayed hot and the pitching was solid in a 10-2 win for KU. The game was suspended in the sixth inning on Saturday night and picked up at that same spot on Sunday.
Glenville State got the scoring going in the first half inning through a Fabin Escalante RBI single. Luis Liriano then made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame.
The Golden Bears found their grove at the plate in the fifth inning, putting five runs across the plate, including a Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) two-run home run. Three more runs came an inning later through another passed ball and a Martini two-RBI single to extend the KU lead. The Golden Bears put three more runs across the plate in the later innings and took the 10-2 win.
Jake Skrocki (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) started on the mound for KU and earned the win, allowing seven hits and striking out four in six innings pitched. After the restart, Trevor Leverington (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) took the mound for the Golden Bears to see out the win. Chase Swain earned the loss for Glenville State.
Game 3: Glenville State 1, Kutztown 0
Game three of the day was the complete opposite story, as it was a pitching dual between the two teams that saw the Pioneers emerge victorious 1-0. The game was a modified seven-inning contest due to Saturday's suspended contest.
Zach Morris' RBI single in the bottom of the first was the only run of the game. Despite taking the loss, Moretski had a solid showing on the mound for KU, going 4.2 innings and striking out six. Austin Corn was spectacular for Glenville State, going all seven innings, striking our seven while only allowing two hits.
Brennan Rozich (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) and Wolff got KU's only hits. Dalton Geiger (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) also made his second appearance of the season on the mound for the Golden Bears.
