BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team turned around the result of Monday's home games, sweeping the Bloomsburg Huskies at Danny Litwhiler Field by scores of 15-5 and 5-2 to split the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division series on a wind-filled Tuesday evening.
The Golden Bears (13-22, 6-10 PSAC East) found their offense in the opening game while taking control of the day on the home turf of the Huskies (14-21, 4-12 PSAC East), claiming the last two games of the four-game season series to gain an edge over Bloomsburg in the conference standings.
Game 1: Kutztown 15, Bloomsburg 5
A 30-minute delay due to forecasted rain gave Kutztown extra time to prepare themselves to attack out of the gate, and their 13 combined runs in the third and sixth innings boosted the Golden Bears to their 12th win of the season, ending a three-game skid as they took their first step to even the season series.
A first-inning double got the gears turning for the KU offense, and despite the home team taking a 2-1 advantage through one frame, the Golden Bears poured on six runs in the third, a run in the fifth, and seven runs in the sixth to overwhelm Bloomsburg.
Shortstop
Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) led the way with a perfect 4-for-4 afternoon, scoring three runs and sending home a pair of runs for KU. Designated hitter
Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI), catcher
Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) (2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 runs) and right fielder
Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) (2-for-4, 2 runs) tossed in their contributions, but it was a true team effort to bring the Golden Bears the win.
As a team, Kutztown had 15 hits and nine walks, three of which came from Ferguson. First baseman
Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) and third baseman
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) were each hit by a pitch, while four KU batters had doubles on the afternoon. All but one starter tallied a base hit for KU, while eight different players contributed to at least one of the Golden Bears' runs.
Kannon Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (W, 3-4) tossed five innings to claim the win, striking out five and allowing five runs (four earned) over 28 batters.
Evan Krippel (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) finished the final two innings without allowing a hit, striking out two of BU's final six batters. Bloomsburg's Landon Lorson (L, 0-4) was the first of four pitchers to face the Golden Bears, notching eight outs for the Huskies but allowing seven runs in defeat.
Game 2: Kutztown 5, Bloomsburg 2 (6 inn.)
In a much lower scoring game, it wasn't until the sixth inning that the Golden Bears managed to break away, scoring three runs to break a 2-2 tie that stood since the end of the second inning.
Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) and Kerley came across the plate in the opening frame for Kutztown, giving them a 2-0 lead before the Huskies quickly rallied back to tie it in the second. Singles from Furst and Wheeler in the sixth frame sealed the deal for KU, with an error by the left fielder aiding the scoring of Furst and Ferguson to pad the lead for the visiting team.
Paul Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) (W, 2-3) threw a complete game that featured eight strikeouts against five hits and a walk. Bloomsburg's Brock Hammaker (L, 2-4) threw 5.2 innings, allowing four of the five runs while throwing 90 pitches.
With the Wednesday meeting against St. Thomas Aquinas being postponed, the Golden Bears will travel to Millersville on Friday, April 18, to face the ninth-ranked Marauders in the opening two games of their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division series before returning to North Campus Baseball Field on Saturday for the final two games of the series. Both doubleheaders have scheduled first pitch times of 1 p.m.
