MARCH 6, 2016
KING'S BASEBALL SWEEPS JUNIATA 17-10, 5-1
AUBURNDALE, FL --- The King's College baseball team used offense in the first game and pitching in the second game to sweep Juniata College in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale. King's won the first game 17-10 before taking the nightcap 5-1.
King's improves to 4-0 this season while Juniata falls to 0-5.
In the first game King's scored three runs in the first inning. Tom Gibbons led the game off with a walk, advanced to third on an error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt, and then scored when Chris Rebar singled up the middle. After Bruce Breithaupt singled to advance Rebar to third and Breithaupt stole second, Rebar scored on a balk and then Sean Padden hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Monarchs a 3-0 lead. Juniata was able to get one run back in the bottom of the inning. King's increased the lead to 5-1 in the second when Breithaupt drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zack Godfrey. Nick Trivigino then scored on a passed ball.
In the third inning Dan Hartson singled to right field and then stole second. He then scored when the Eagles made two errors on one play, first a fielding error by the first baseman and then a throwing error by the second baseman trying to catch Hartson rounding third. Rebar knocked in Trivigino and Godfrey on a single to right field with two outs to increase the Monarch lead to 8-1. In the bottom of the inning Juniata batted around and came away with five runs to cut the deficit to 8-5. After holding the Monarchs scoreless in the top of the fourth the Eagles scored three more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-8 lead.
King's responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to retake the lead. Godfrey led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on ground out the second, and then scored on a passed ball. Rebar singled to right field with two outs, advanced to second when the right fielder misplayed the ball, and then scored on a single by Breithaupt. The Eagles tied the game up at 10 with a run in the bottom of the inning.
The Monarchs put the game away with seven runs in the top of the sixth. After Padden walked Kyle Lupas hit him home for the game-winning run on a double down the right field line. Trivigino was hit by a pitch with the base loaded to score Lupas and then Gibbons hit a two RBI single to left. Breithaupt then knocked in two more runs when his base-loaded grounded was misplayed by the shortstop. Padden hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Rebar for King's 17th and final run of the game.
Zach Palansky, who was fantastic on the mound in relief, pitched a 1-2-3 seventh with two strikeouts to end the game. Palansky got the win pitching 3.2 innings in relief allowing just one hit, one run that was unearned, walked one, and struck out five. Andrew Fisher pitched the first 3.1 innings for King's allowing eight hits, and nine runs though only four were earned, walked one, and struck out six.
Game two was completely different then the first game. While the first game was a slugfest the nightcap was an excellent pitcher's duel until the Monarchs were able to score three runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding lead.
Nick Deno was excellent on the mound for King's pitching a complete game four hitter, allowing one run, walking just one, and striking out seven.
The Monarchs scored in the bottom of the first when Rebar singled, stole second and then was hit home by a single from Padden. Juniata was able to tie the game up in the bottom of the inning and then the pitchers on both teams kept the opposing offenses at bay for a few innings. At one point 14 straight hitters were retired before someone reached base and that was only on a passed ball on a strikeout. It took another eight batters before someone recorded a hit.
That hit was a big one for King's. It came in the bottom of the fifth inning by Christian Pack who beat out an infield single to shortstop. He then advanced to second on a single by Shawn Stone. After stealing third Pack scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch with two outs. King's put the game away with three runs in the sixth. Pack hit a two RBI single to center scoring Padden and Breithaupt, and then Stone also hit a single to center to score Brad Wilkins.
Chris Rebar had five hits in seven at-bats while scoring four runs and knocking in three. Bruce Breithaupt had two hits, scored two runs, and knocked in four while Sean Padden also had two hits and two runs but knocked in three. Nick Trivigino scored three times and knocked in one run while Zack Godfrey scored three runs.
King's will have a short turnaround as they will be back in action early Monday morning with a 9:15 a.m. start time for a doubleheader with Wentworth Institute of Technology at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.