KUTZTOWN, Pa.-- The Kutztown University baseball team (26-19, 12-12 PSAC East) battled to a doubleheader split against rival West Chester (28-16, 14-10 PSAC East) Friday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Golden Bears also honored
Dalton Geiger (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley),
Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.), and
Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) prior to game one as a part of Senior Day.
Both games of the doubleheader were wildly entertaining contests. Zach Male (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) was the story in game one for the Golden Bears, pitching a complete game in what was a 2-1 victory for KU. That wouldn't be the best pitching performance of the day for the Golden Bears, as senior Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) put up a historic, warrior-like pitching performance in game two. Despite Moretski's heroics, some costly early errors, along with an eighth-inning solo home run, lifted the Golden Rams over KU 5-4 in game two.
Despite being picked dead last in the PSAC East in the preseason coaches poll, the Golden Bears finish the season one win shy of a spot in the PSAC Tournament. After an 11-35 record in 2022, including a 4-20 mark in conference play, KU saw a 15-game improvement, winning eight more conference games in 2023. It's the most wins in a season since 2014, which is also the last time KU qualified for the postseason.Â
With a roster only graduating three players, the Golden Bears are primed to have an experienced and hungry roster at North Campus Field in 2024.Â
Game 1: Kutztown 2, West Chester 1
Game one was the Zach Male (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) show for KU, as the junior tossed a complete game, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out five in a 2-1 victory.Â
All the run support that Male needed came in the bottom of the third inning. On his Senior Day, Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) singled to score Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) and Brian Finn (Warrington, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) to make it a 2-0 ball game. West Chester loaded the bases with no outs in the next half inning and got on the board via a sac fly to cut the KU lead in half. Despite the danger, Male left two runners on as KU maintained its 2-1 lead.Â
The Golden Rams threatened yet again in the top of the fifth, but Male left the tying run on third to escape yet another jam. A 1-2-3 top of the sixth was followed with yet another run left in scoring position in the seventh as Male went the distance and KU held on for the 2-1 win.
Brennan Rozich (Oxford, Pa./Oxford), Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley), Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown), Joey Pettinelli (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown), Peers, and Finn all had one hit each in the game, with Peers having the only two RBI in the game. Joe Sperone took the loss for West Chester on the mound.
Game 2: West Chester 5, Kutztown 4
In his return to the KU lineup, senior Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) put together a historic performance of the bump in what ended up being a 5-4 loss for the Golden Bears. The Harleysville, Pa. native struck out 15 batters, the third most in a game in program history, while throwing a whopping 126 pitches. He allowed two earned runs and six hits in eight innings of work.
The Golden Bears got off to a sloppy start, which is what ultimately doomed them in the defeat. Three errors with two outs in the top of the first helped the Golden Rams plate three runs to make it 3-0.Â
David Ferguson was also dealing for West Chester, sending KU down 1-2-3 in each of the first five frames. An RBI single for the Golden Rams in the top of the fifth extended the lead to 4-0 in favor of West Chester. Then came the bottom of the sixth.
Ferguson, who had been lights out to that point, walked the bases loaded with one out, forcing Jeb Kurtz into the game. On the first pitch Kurtz threw, Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) rocketed the ball over the left-field fence for a game-tying grand slam. West Chester went down 1-2-3 in the seventh as KU worked a runner on to third with one out in the bottom half of the frame, but couldn't drive him home as it remained tied at four.
Moretski struck out the first two batters in the top of the eighth, but JR Gifford got just enough to send a ball over the left field fence to give the Golden Rams the 5-4 lead. Evan Snyder then entered the game and put KU down 1-2-3. The Golden Bears got a runner to second with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't drive him home as KU fell 5-4.
Despite his historic pitching performance, Moretski took the loss for KU. Tyler Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) also saw action on the bump in relief in the ninth inning. Jeb Kurtz earned his third win of the season, while Evan Snyder earned his first save of the season for West Chester.Â
At the plate, Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge), Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown), Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley), Cole Regn (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional), and Rossillo all had a hit each, with Rossillo knocking home all four RBI.Â
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