HAMBURG, Pa. – Relocated to a neutral site series for the team's Pennsylvania return, the Kutztown University baseball team opened its three-game non-conference series against the Assumption Greyhounds with a 12-0 win on Saturday afternoon at Charles L. Miller Field, home of the Hamburg Area High School Hawks baseball team.
The Golden Bears (4-3 overall) reached a .500 record behind starter
Kannon Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley), who fired five strong innings to collect the victory on the day. The man who caught him, senior catcher
Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman), crossed the plate three times to help back up his batterymate as the duo powered past the Greyhounds (2-6) and rolled to its third consecutive victory.
KU was firing on all cylinders, both on the hill and at the plate. Zdimal (W, 2-1) opened the day by making quick and efficient work of the opposition, running through five innings in 75 pitches, striking out five batters while allowing just three hits. Brother
Kooper Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (SV, 1) took care of the final four innings, throwing two frames of one-hit baseball while striking out five with 24 pitches.
The Maroon and Gold offense, who has opened its season scoring at least three runs in six of its first seven outings, laid the hammer on junior Evan Remington (L, 1-2) and company, as the right handed starter allowed five runs (four earned) and dished up three walks and hit a trio of batters before making way for a bullpen that combined to allow another seven runs while walking seven batters over the remaining 4.2 innings.
The Kutztown scoring efforts were led by Burns and designated hitter
Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico), who led the way with six runs apiece. Center fielder
Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) and shortstop
Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) crossed the plate for a pair of runs, while the latter sent home a team-high four runs on the afternoon. Ferguson sent home a trio of runners, while third baseman
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) notched a pair of RBIs in the win.
For Kutztown, the defensive and pitching performances enabled the team's first shutout victory since a 2023 meeting with Lock Haven, a 1-0 affair at North Campus Field. The Golden Bears took advantage of 10 issued walks by the Greyhounds, the first time an opponent has given that many free passes since a 2023 game against Lincoln (Pa.), which the Golden Bears would win 20-10.
The final line saw Kutztown score 12 runs on 11 hits while going error-free for the second consecutive game. Assumption gained four hits while committing three errors in defeat.
The Golden Bears will look to continue its run of success in a doubleheader tomorrow, March 8, when they will battle the Greyhounds in two more games at Hamburg's Miller Field. The team will make its return to North Campus Field on Monday, Mar. 9, for a non-conference doubleheader against Lincoln (Pa.).
