Quakertown, PA, (May 6, 2006) – One night after not leaving the ballpark until 11:00 pm and playing a 15-inning marathon, the DeSales University baseball refused to quit in its quest for a seventh straight Freedom Conference baseball championship winning two games on Saturday to stay alive and advance to championship Sunday in the Freedom Conference playoffs at Quakertown Memorial Park.

 

        The Bulldogs (23-18 overall) will meet King’s College (24-14 overall) in the championship game and will need to beat the Monarchs twice to earn its seventh straight title and its seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.  The first game will begin at Noon with the second game to follow if necessary.

 

        In the first game of the day, the Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to break a 4-4 tie and earn the 6-4 win.  Sophomore Andrew Heard (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) knocked in the game-winning run and later scored on an RBI fielder’s choice from freshman Mike Bianca (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. St. Joseph).  Sophomore Mike Concilio (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) earned his third win of the season pitching two innings allowing just one hit and striking out three in relief.

 

        DSU scored twice in the first inning on the strength of four hits.  Heard led off with a double, senior Derek Miller (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had a bunt single and freshmen Matt Johanson (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) and Bianca each had RBI singles to score Heard and Miller.

 

        In the fourth, freshman Greg Treat (Concord, NH/Concord) had an RBI double and Heard had another RBI single following freshman Mike Pennington’s (Dresher, PA/LaSalle) leadoff double.  The Devils (19-20) scored one run in four consecutive innings to tie the game at four but were unable to get back on the scoreboard and become the first team eliminated from the tournament.

 

        King’s College followed the DSU win over the Devils by defeating Drew University, 6-5, to advance to the championship game on Sunday.  The Monarchs took a 3-0 lead early and led 6-3 thru eight innings before holding onto a one-run lead as the Rangers stranded two men on-base in the ninth inning.

 

        Mike Venarchick led the Monarchs with four hits including a home run, two runs scored and two RBI’s.  Junior Caleb Calarco continued his hotting at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and he also earned the win going eight innings allowing 10 hits and four runs.  Tim Granquist came in the game to earn his second save of the season allowing two hits and one run in his inning of work.

 

        In the nightcap, the Bulldogs used the bats to defeat Drew, 13-5.  DSU fell behind 1-0 in the second inning but scored twice in the second, three times in the third, two more times in the fourth and five times in the fifth to take a 12-5 lead and never looked back.  Five different players had two or more hits and six players drove in runs.

 

        Miller was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, sophomore Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Bianca was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Johanson knocked in two runs, Pennington had two hits and knocked in two runs, Connors was 1-for-1 with two runs scored and two RBI’s and Treat had two hits and knocked in two runs.