BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
Wilkes-Barre, PA (April 12, 2008) – The DeSales University baseball team dropped its second straight Freedom Conference series on Saturday, losing two one-run games to King's College, 7-6 (10 Innings) and 6-5.
The Freedom Conference pre-season favorite falls to 13-15-1 overall and 6-6 in the Freedom Conference with the two losses on Saturday afternoon, while King's improves to 12-13 overall and 7-8 in the conference standings. The Bulldogs have now posted a 2-6-1 overall record over their last nine games and are just 2-4 in their last six conference games after winning the first two Freedom Conference series of the year to start with a 4-2 record.
In game one on Saturday, DeSales controlled the entire game until the bottom of the seventh inning. DSU scored three runs in the first and once in the second to lead 4-0 before the Monarchs cut the margin to 4-3 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. In the three-run first, senior Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall), sophomore Doc Neiman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) and senior Andrew Heard (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) each had RBI singles.
The Bulldogs increased its one-run lead to three in the fourth with two runs on a two-RBI double from junior Zac Hess (Harleysville, PA/LaSalle) and that lead stood entering the bottom of the seventh inning.
After retiring the first batter, back-to-back singles chased DSU's starter, freshman Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley), bringing in the Bulldogs closer, sophomore Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills). Walsh walked the first batter he faced to load the bases and KC's Matt Feci reached via catcher's interference plating the first run of the inning. Jon Venarchick then tied the game with a two-RBI single before Walsh retired the next two hitters to send the game into extra innings.
DSU had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with one out but Heard fouled to first base and pinch-hitter, sophomore Andrew Feher (Riegelsville, PA/Palisades) struck out to end the threat. Both teams went scoreless in the ninth and the Monarchs took advantage in the 10th when Gracjan Kraszewski stroked a bases loaded single to plate the winning run.
Walsh took the loss, pitching three innings allowing four hits and two runs. Newland went 6.1 innings scattering eight hits and allowing four earned runs. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. Junior Greg Treat (Concord, NH/Concord) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Heard and Matejicka each had two hits in the game one loss.
In game two, it was all King's early as they scored twice in the first, second and third inning to take a 6-1 lead before the Bulldogs began to fight back. RBI singles from Newland, Matejicka and freshman Carson Slonaker (East Greenville, PA/Perkiomen School) cut the margin down to 6-4 in the fifth inning and after Treat drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the top of the seventh inning, the deficit shrunk to one-run with a runner on third base and two out but freshman Tim Fiorito (Mesa, AZ/Seton Catholic) flew out to end the game.
Junior Chris Brian (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) took the loss lasting just three innings allowing five hits and five earned runs while walking three. Junior Andrew Kulhamer (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) pitched three innings of no-hot relief to keep the game close for the Bulldogs.
Sophomore Ryan Blacker (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in game two, while Matejicka and Slonaker also had two hits in game two.
The Bulldogs will look to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday, April 15th when they travel to The University of Scranton for a non-conference game beginning at 3:30 pm.
