MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Kutztown University traveled south on Thursday for its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division doubleheader against the Millersville Marauders, falling 9-1 and 15-1 at Cooper Park.
The Golden Bears (16-23, 6-16 PSAC East) entered the weekend with high hopes as they looked to start a push towards claiming the last playoff spot in its penultimate regular season series. Instead, the Marauders (28-14, 13-9 PSAC East) continued strengthening its in-conference resume as it looks forward to playing postseason baseball next month.
Game 1: Millersville 9, Kutztown 1
The Marauders put two tallies on the board in the first, and while
Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) sent home
Cam Burr (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) with a single in the fourth to cut the lead to one, the home team promptly responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning and two more runs in the fifth to add a cushion that wouldn't be challenged.
Furst, who went 2-for-3 in the day's opening contest, was the primary source of offensive action for KU. He also notched a double while his RBI came as a benefit of Burr's stolen base, the lone swipe for the Maroon and Gold.
Nick Varda's (Columbia, Md./Atholton) one hit was a two-out triple – his team-leading third of the season – in the top of the sixth, but nothing could push him home as Millersville claimed the opener.
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) (L, 2-6) took the loss after throwing 78 pitches across four innings. Millersville starter Eli Simonton (W, 4-1) got the win after six innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out three. Millersville's winning line featured nine runs on 12 hits, while Kutztown had a run on five hits with no errors.
Game 2: Millersville 15, Kutztown 1
Both sides of Millersville's attack continued to work well in the late game, as the Marauders responded to Kutztown's first-inning run by quickly taking the lead over for good in the bottom of the opening frame.
Kutztown's lone run saw catcher
Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) single on his lone hit of the game to send home
Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland), who scored from second in his lone action on the basepaths.
Kooper Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (L, 4-2) threw 47 pitches in the loss for Kutztown, making way for
Logan Woodward (Furlong, Pa./Germantown Academy), who saw 19 batters and struck out two over 2.2 innings and 68 pitches.
Aidan Myers (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) also came in for 2.2 innings, striking out three and limiting the damage to just one run on the backend of the game.
Alex Kuehn (W, 6-4) threw six innings of one-run ball, striking out three over 78 pitches. The final line saw Millersville score 15 runs on nine hits while committing a pair of errors, while KU had a run on three hits and two errors in defeat.
The Golden Bears will host the Marauders in the season's final PSAC East home doubleheader at North Campus Field tomorrow, April 24, with first pitch times set for 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. It will then take the week off before concluding its regular season with a series against East Stroudsburg. The home portion of the series will be on Thursday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Allentown's Coca-Cola Park, while the away games will be at ESU's Creekview Park the following day at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.
