MANSFIELD, Pa. --Â
Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) and
Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) both hit two home runs a piece on Saturday as the Kutztown University baseball team (14-27, 8-16 PSAC East) earned a doubleheader split against Mansfield (13-25, 9-15 PSAC East) at Joseph Shaute Field.
The Golden Bear offense was firing on all cylinders in game one, winning 12-3 thanks to a seven-run fourth inning. KU trailed 2-1 late in game two, but Mansfield plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth to walk away 5-1 winners. The Mountaineers secured the series win after winning both games at North Campus Field on Friday.
The Golden Bears travel to CACC opponent Wilmington on Wednesday, April 24 for the team's final non-conference game of the season. It's a makeup game after the original contest was postponed on April 2. First pitch from Delaware is set for 3 p.m.
Game 1: Kutztown 12, Mansfield 3
Martini's two home run and three RBI performances highlighted KU's 12-3 victory in game one. Proietto also homered to go along with a team-high three hits and two RBI. Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) and Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) were the other Golden Bears to record two RBI in the contest.Â
The teams were tied at 1-1 entering the third inning thanks to Proietto's solo shot in the top of the second. Martini kept the long ball party going, launching his first homer over the center field fence to make it 3-1 in the top of the third.Â
KU's massive fourth inning started with a Rossillo RBI single that scored Proietto and Cole Regn (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) to make it 5-1. Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) and Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) added back-to-back runs via RBI singles to extend the lead to 7-1. A two-RBI single from Kerley and a sac fly from Regn made things 10-1. The Golden Bears scored seven runs on five hits in the fourth.
Martini smacked his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 11-1. Proeitto added his third RBI of the game four batters later to make it 12-1 KU. Mansfield added two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) retired the side in the seventh to preserve the 12-3 win.
Zach Male (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) earned his second win of the season on the bump, going five innings while allowing only one run. Ryan King took the loss for Mansfield.
Game 2: Mansfield 5, Kutztown 1
Proietto homered again in a game two pitching dual, but Mansfield finally broke through in the sixth and won 5-1.Â
The Mounties started the scoring in the first and second with a run a piece to make it 2-0. KU only worked one runner into scoring position during the first four frames before Proietto's solo shot made things 2-1 in the top of the fifth. The Golden Bears retired the first two batters in the sixth, but a passed ball and a Jacob Houtz homer quickly made the game 5-1, which Mansfield held onto for the win.
Proietto had two hits and two RBI, while Barthol, Kerley, and Jason Wolff (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) had a hit each. Michael Lennon (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn) took the loss for KU, while Trevor Leverington (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) saw action in relief. Eric Gustofoson earned the win for Mansfield, throwing a complete game.Â
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