KUTZTOWN, Pa. --Â The Kutztown University baseball team (6-12, 1-3 PSAC East) put together one of its best offense performances of the season in game two of a doubleheader split against PSAC West foes Pitt-Johnstown (7-8) Friday afternoon at North Campus Field.
In game one, the Mountain Cats jumped out to a 7-0 lead and fended off the Golden Bears in a 7-2 victory. In game two, KU put seven runs across the plate in the fourth inning and held UPJ to only one run in a convincing 13-1 victory.
The teams will match up again tomorrow, Saturday, March 16 in a doubleheader at North Campus Field. First pitch in game one is slated for noon.
Game 1: Pitt-Johnstown 7, Kutztown 2
UPJ jumped out to a 7-0 lead through five innings and didn't look back, holding off KU for a 7-2 win in game one.
Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) and Cole Regn (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) had a hit and an RBI each in the loss. Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) and Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) had the other hits for the Golden Bears. Jake Skrocki (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) took the loss for KU, while Kannon Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) saw time in relief. Ben Tomb earned the win for the Mountain Cats.
After falling down 7-0, the Golden Bears got on the board in the bottom of the fifth via a sac fly from Regn. In the next frame, Martini smacked the ball over the right-centerfield fence on a 0-2 count for his second home run of the season to make it 7-2.Â
Game 2: Kutztown 13, Pitt-Johnstown 1
KU put together one of its best all-around performances in game two, rolling over UPJ for a 13-1 victory.
Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) and Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) both went 3-for-3, while Kerley added an RBI. Regn and Colin Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) both added two RBI. Proietto also turned in a mult-hit performance with two hits an an RBI. Paul Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) earned his first win of the season for KU, allowing only four hits while striking out five. AJ Torres (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood) and Gavin Grande (Newtown Square, Pa./Malvern Prep) saw an inning each in relief. Austin Hammerle took the loss for UPJ.
The Golden Bears jumped on Hammerle early, plating two runs on RBI singles from Kerley and Regn. Kerley then doubled to left in the bottom of the third to score Burns and make it 3-0. UPJ added one in the top of the fourth via an error to cut the lead to 3-1.Â
The KU onslaught came in the bottom of the fourth. Martini started things off with a sac fly, followed up by a wild pitch that scored Joey Pettinelli (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) to make it 6-1. Proietto and Regn singled in back-to-back at-bats to make it 8-1. The inning was capped off by a throwing error that scored two more runs to make it 10-1. The Golden Bears scored seven runs on four hits and two errors in the bottom of the fourth.Â
Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) knocked home a run in the fifth via a fielder's choice to extend the lead, before Kelly capped things off with a two-RBI single in the sixth to make it 13-1.Â
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