KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team secured a 7-1 victory in its first true home series of the year at North Campus Field, while its opponents, the Lincoln (Pa.) Lions, bounced back in a 4-3 evening game on Monday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader.
The Golden Bears (5-6 overall) won its home opener in a great effort on both sides of the ball, as while the team may have been understandably weary after a long weekend series, it didn't look that way in its early showing. The Lions (3-6), also coming off an extended, two-day series over the weekend, mustered up enough effort to turn the tide in the second game and snagged a victory as the team was able to head home happy.
Game 1: Kutztown 7, Lincoln (Pa.) 1
Behind a strong, six-inning performance from starter
Logan Woodward (Furlong, Pa./Germantown Academy) (W, 1-0) and contributions from across the offense, Kutztown got back to .500 on the year as it put up a strong performance on a short turnaround against the Lions to open the day.
Kutztown jump-started things by putting five runs on the board before Lincoln could respond, using a pair of wild pitches and a throwing error to cross the plate all five times. Lincoln responded one inning later, but right fielder
Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) produced a pair of insurance runs on his second home run of the year in the sixth inning.
Furst led the way for the Golden Bears offense with his two-run home run, while
Joel Bonner (Hulmeville, Pa./Neshaminy) walked and scored twice on the afternoon.
Woodward's effort saw him strike out four of his 25 batters across 90 pitches, allowing six hits, a pair of walks and an earned run in a stellar effort on the mound.
Cain Lusic (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro) took the hill to close out the seventh, striking out two to seal the win. LU's Isaiah Negron (L, 0-1) went the distance, earning four of seven runs on 99 pitches, allowing four hits and three walks and offering three wild pitches in defeat.
Kutztown's winning line featured just four hits on its seven-run opening game, while Lincoln scored its run on six hits while committing an error in defeat.
Game 2: Lincoln (Pa.) 4, Kutztown 3
A tight game from the teams in the nightcap, Lincoln managed to steal the game with a sharp double down the right field line in the top of the seventh inning, and while a
Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) sacrifice fly gave them the opportunity to extend the game, the Lions were able to lock down and steal the one-run victory.
It was the Lions who got on the board first, but after individual runs were posted by the two teams in the second, third, and fourth innings, the two defenses and pitching staffs were able to put their teams in winning positions heading down the stretch.
After some unlucky defensive situations in the seventh inning, pinch hitter Solomon Devard played hero for the Lions on his go-ahead double, and Kutztown's strong comeback effort on the offensive side came up just short in the end.
Both designated hitter
Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) and right fielder
Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) went 2-for-4 while scoring one run apiece, while
Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) reached base twice via walk.
While reliever
Shane Rosenberry (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) (L, 0-1) put forth a stellar effort in relief, he ended up responsible for the two runs in the end. Starter
Zack Wertman (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg), another recipient of a hefty workload due to the weekend scheduling situation, threw five innings of seven-hit, two-strikeout ball before making way for Rosenberry. Lusic returned to the mound to seal off the seventh inning, striking out the final Lincoln batter of the game.
LU's Pedro Santos (W, 1-0) claimed the win after pitching the final three innings and allowing just one run. Neither team had an error charged to its log, as Lincoln had four runs on ten hits, while KU put up three runs on six hits.
The Golden Bears return to North Campus Field this Saturday, March 14, with a doubleheader against Clarion at noon and 2:30 p.m. It takes a trip to Lock Haven for a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 17, at 2 p.m.
