KUTZTOWN, Pa. – With the Kutztown University baseball team honoring its five graduating student-athletes in their final game of the season at North Campus Field on Friday afternoon, they pulled out a win from the doubleheader against the postseason-bound Shippensburg Raiders, winning the opener 6-5 before falling 5-3 to end the season against their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division foes.
 
The Golden Bears (14-33, 7-21 PSAC East) snapped a 10-game skid with a one-run triumph over the Raiders (28-21, 15-13 PSAC East), who locked down the fourth seed in the East Division in the upcoming PSAC Championships. While Kutztown used a five-run boost in the fifth to win game one, Shippensburg turned around and won the second game on a fifth inning grand slam to end the scoring for both teams and claim the series for the visitors.
 
Prior to the game, seniors Brian Finn (Warrington, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley), Tyler Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) and Cody Barberio (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown), along with redshirt junior Paul Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic), were recognized in Kutztown's Senior Day festivities.
 
Game 1: Kutztown 6, Shippensburg 5
 
The Golden Bears took advantage of a Shippensburg fielding error to keep the runs coming in, as three of the team's five runs were unearned in the frame. It helped that a Finn single in the second inning was just the start of the Maroon and Gold's offensive efforts, a collective performance that gave Barberio (W, 3-4) a nice, six inning victory.
 
Kutztown weathered nine Raiders hits throughout the early showing, but eight timely hits of their own were able to control the game. Finn, Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) and Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) each had two hits, while Barthol and Finn each had a pair of RBIs, while right fielder Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) reached base three times via walk.
 
KU handed SU's Conner Barto (L, 4-1) his first loss of the season, a shaky, 71-pitch performance across 4.1 innings. Eddie Frye (Lorton, Va./South County) (S, 3) came in to relieve Barberio, fanning two in the seventh inning to lock down the game.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 5, Kutztown 3
 
Shippensburg saw the same offensive output but a different result in the nightcap, as Kutztown couldn't connect at the right time to change the game's outcome. KU once again took an early 1-0 lead, but a standup RBI triple in the second quickly knotted things up. The Golden Bears responded in the fourth, but the towering, right field grand slam ended up being the kill shot in the two-run victory for the Raiders.
 
Ferguson went 3-for-3 while scoring a run, while Michael Burns' (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) lone hit marked the 100th of his career. Paul Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) (L, 2-5) went a full seven innings for KU, hurling 113 pitches while striking out four across 33 batters. Brenden Andersen (W, 2-1) got the win for Shippensburg, striking out three over four innings pitched. Closer Jack Robinson (S, 8) picked up his third save of the weekend after getting the final four outs of the contest.
 
The Golden Bears end 2025 with high hopes for next season. They look forward to the development of their young roster and will hope for movement in the conference standings next season as they set their eyes on the PSAC Championships. Read Full Article