BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team traveled north to Bloomsburg to face the Huskies in the first two games of the teams' Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division series on Friday, with the home team winning game one, 19-0, and the visitors pulling off a 2-1 win at Litwhiler Field.
The Golden Bears (16-18, 6-12 PSAC East) had a rocky go in the first game, but sealed off the bleeding in the final two frames and continued holding strong in the second game to defeat the Huskies (21-14, 9-9 PSAC East) as the Maroon and Gold hope to defend its territory tomorrow afternoon.
Game 1: Bloomsburg 19, Kutztown 0
It was a difficult start to the series for Kutztown, as all scoring came in the first four innings thanks to 15 hits and three errors in the game. Bloomsburg opened with six runs in the first, making it a 10-0 game in the second, and added nine more runs across innings three and four to seal off the final tally.
It was no easier on the offensive end, as Bloomsburg's Brandon Wozniak (W, 4-1) threw a complete game while allowing two hits across 76 pitches. Those two hits – a
Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) single in the second and a
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) single in the third – ended up being snuffed out by the Huskies defense, preventing any threat to the host team's win.
After
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) (L, 1-3) left the mound,
Shane Rosenberry (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and
Cain Lusic (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro) were able to pitch 2.2 innings of shutout baseball to settle things down in hopes of a better second game.
Game 2: Kutztown 2, Bloomsburg 1
That hope came true for Kutztown, thanks to a great, complete game effort on the mound from freshman
Kooper Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (W, 4-1) and at the plate from second baseman
Cam Burr (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg), who went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the victory.
In more of a pitching battle compared to the prior contest, Kutztown got all the offensive support it needed in the second inning, as a one-out walk by
Preston Warne (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) was followed by an
Aiden Soumas (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood) single to move the runner to third. Another single from Wheeler sent Warne home and moved the runner one base ahead, while Burr proceeded to hit another single with two outs to score Soumas and put KU ahead by a pair.
Zdimal and the Kutztown defense played flawlessly, committing no errors through the first five innings and allowing just four hits through five frames.
The sixth inning posed a challenging threat, with a base runner reaching third with no one out. Luckily, a pair of fly outs and a runner caught stealing ended the threat, and the rookie righty was able to wrap things up with a quick seventh inning for his first complete game victory.
Warne and
Nick Varda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) each reached base via walk twice in the game, while six Golden Bears managed a base knock on the afternoon. Zdimal's day saw him throw 87 pitches, allowing just six hits while striking out a pair.
The final line saw Kutztown send home a pair of runs on eight hits and an error, while Bloomsburg had a run on six hits in defeat. BU starter Andrew Armstrong (L, 2-3) ended up with the loss after allowing both runs in the second inning.
The Golden Bears return to North Campus Field tomorrow, April 18, for 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. games against the Huskies in the conclusion of the regular season series. Prior to the first game, the team will recognize eight seniors on the Kutztown University baseball team for Senior Day, while an on-field celebration of the team's alumni will take place before the first pitch of the second game for Alumni Day.
