Boyertown, PA (May 22, 2005) – Through seven innings on Sunday morning, the DeSales University baseball team seemed destined for a spot in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship game, but two late rallies by Alvernia College, spoiled DSU’s 1-0 lead and ended the Bulldogs season with their second loss in the tournament.
Freshman JT Brotosky (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) was sensational thru the first seven innings allowing just one hit, an infield squibber to second base in the fourth inning, as DeSales held a 1-0 lead. In the top of the eighth a Crusader double was followed by a fly out, a hit batter and a single that loaded the bases with one out.
Brotosky was able to get a pop out to second base with the next batter but walked the following hitter to force in the tying run and was relieved by sophomore Jon Kensecki (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty). Kensecki surrendered a two-out single to centerfield that narrowly dropped in front of a diving centerfielder, junior Derek Miller (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen).
In the bottom of the inning with two away DSU rallied when sophomore Luke Pisker (Oley, PA/Oley) reached base on a strikeout wild pitch and advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Senior Dan Fratatoro (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) walked and senior Nolan Neiman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) laced a single past a diving first baseman to plate Pisker and cut the lead in half.
Senior Ian Hauze (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) followed Neiman’s single with his own single into centerfield that plated Fratantoro with the tying run and freshman Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) ended the inning with a fly ball to centerfield.
In the ninth, Kensecki got the first out on a ground out to shortstop but walked the next batter and allowed a single just past Hauze at shortstop to give Alvernia two men on base and one out. Junior Joe Chapman (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) relieved Kensecki and threw a wild pitch to send the runners to second and third. Pinch-hitter Dan Pierce hit a lazy ground ball up the middle but threw a drawn in infield and into centerfield plating the eventual winning runs.
DSU did put two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning but were retired when junior pinch-hitter Matt Burkhart (Reading, PA/Exeter Township) lined out to left field to end the game.
Kensecki suffered the loss in relief of Brotosky and falls to 4-1 on the year. Brotosky’s line finished with him allowing three hits and three runs in 7.2 innings of work. Hauze single in the eighth extended his hitting streak to 24-games, one short of the all-time record. He finished with two of the three RBI’s in the game. Sophomore Matt Lezinsky (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) and senior Chris Peters (Allentown, PA/Parkland) each had two hits in the loss.
The Bulldogs finish the year with a 35-10 record, setting a new school-record for wins in a season. DSU also won its sixth straight Freedom Conference title and earned its sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth.
