KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team closed out its series against the nation's 10th-ranked team in the Millersville Marauders on Saturday afternoon, falling by a 4-1 mark in the opener before finishing the day in a 10-0 loss in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division test at North Campus Field.
 
Another low-scoring game was in line for the Golden Bears (13-26, 6-13 PSAC East), as the squad was able to hang in with one of the nation's best teams in the Marauders (31-6, 17-3 PSAC) before falling by double digits as the Millersville bats came alive in the final game.
 
The Golden Bears honored a large gathering of alumni across decades of KU baseball history, with names ranging from the early days of KU baseball in William Moyer (1966) to more recognizable names such as Jake Augustus (2020). Five members of the 1988 class were in attendance, and they all remained among a large crowd cheering on the Golden Bears.
 
Game 1: No. 10 Millersville 4, Kutztown 1
 
With neither team's bats making serious noise in the third game of the four-game set, it was up to the pitchers to hold off their opposition with the hopes that their team would find the opportunity to win the game. Millersville's Alex Kuehn (W, 5-0) was able to do just that, allowing just four hits and a run to the KU offense across an 87-pitch, complete-game performance.
 
Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) went 2-for-3 in one of the few bright spots at the plate for Kutztown, while designated hitter Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) scored on a Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) sacrifice fly to center in the second inning to give the Golden Bears a 1-0 advantage in the second. That lead was snatched up by the Marauders, who put runs on the board in the third, fifth and seventh innings to claim the win.
 
Kannon Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (L, 3-5) tossed 6.2 scoreless frames, striking out five while allowing four runs (two earned) in defeat.
 
Game 2: No. 10 Millersville 10, Kutztown 0
 
Kutztown didn't have much luck getting anything going in the second game, as the Marauders drummed up offense in the third, fourth and fifth before scoring four runs in the sixth to make it 9-0. It helped that Millersville had seven extra-base hits on the afternoon, while three additional bases were stolen to put runners in prime scoring positions.
 
As for the Maroon and Gold, Paul Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) (L, 2-4) took the large part of the beating from the opposing offense, watching five runs (four earned) cross the plate despite striking out five across five innings. Shortstop Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) and pinch hitter Aiden Soumas (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood) hit late-game doubles to try and get something going for KU, but the pitching staff led by Garet Blankenbiller (W, 6-1) held off any major threats.
 
The Golden Bears stay home for a test against the East Stroudsburg Warriors at North Campus Baseball Field on Friday, April 25, where first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.