MARCH 28, 2018

MONARCHS SCORE THREE RUNS IN THE NINTH TO DEFEAT DEFENDING CONFERENCE CHAMPS 6-5

WILKES-BARRE, PA --- Christian Pack hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the King's College baseball team an amazing 6-5 comeback victory over Misericordia University in a conference game on Wednesday afternoon at Lipo Field in Wilkes-Barre. The Monarchs scored three runs in the ninth to defeat the Cougars.

The Monarchs improve to 8-8 overall and 3-3 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play. Misericordia, the seven-time defending conference champs and preseason favorite, falls to 12-5 overall and 4-2 in MAC Freedom play.

King's came to bat in the bottom of the ninth down 5-3 to the Cougars. Matt Mellinger led off the inning with an infield single into the gap between the second baseman and the first baseman. Sean Padden walked before Bruce Breithaupt moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Sean McKee tied the game at 5 when he drove a 1-0 pitch over the right fielder's head for a double.

Misericordia then made a pitching change with one out and the winning run on second base. Dan Hartson worked a six-pitch walk to put runners on first and second. Pack then drove the first pitch he saw into left field and McKee raced home beating the throw from the left fielder to give the Monarchs the comeback victory.

The victory over the Cougars was King's second in the series since 2010. The first victory happened last year when Pack hit a walk-off single through the right side to give King's a 3-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Lipo Field.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the first when Parker Abate walked, stole second, and then scored on a single up the middle by Cole Bixler. They then were able to score a run in the third despite not recording a hit in the inning. Abate was hit by a pitch with two outs and then the Cougars loaded the bases on a walk and another hit-by-pitch. Steve Weisensee worked a five-pitch walk to bring in a run.

King's scored their first run of the game in the fourth when Pack and Chris Rebar hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corner. Shawn Stone knocked in Pack with a two-out single to center field. Mellinger looked to keep the inning alive but his shot to right field was just tracked down by the right fielder that ran a long way to make the play.

Misericordia put runners on the corners in the fifth and then took advantage of a wild pitch to take a 3-1 lead. Nick Deno got out of the inning with a grounder to third and two strikeouts. The Cougars added another run in the sixth when Chad Bell executed a perfect suicide squeeze for a hit that scored Dalton Emerich from third. Deno got out of the inning when Kenny Jarema hit a line drive that Mellinger snagged at first and then doubled off Bell by stepping on the bag.

The Monarchs responded in the bottom of the inning with Pack and Rebar reaching base. Stone then recorded his second two-out hit of the game to score Pack from second and cut the Cougar lead to 4-2.

Tyler Holzapfel gave the Cougars a 5-2 lead in the top of the seventh with a solo home run down the line in right. Misericordia then put two on with two outs forcing the Monarch to bring in Cooper Johnson. Johnson got out of the inning with no more damage when Breithaupt made a great diving catch in left-center for the final out of the inning. Padden led off the bottom of the inning with a single to center. After back-to-back fielder's choices, Hartson singled to left to put runners on first and second. Pack then knocked in a run when he knocked a ball just over the first baseman's head down the right-field line. Unfortunately, the inning ended when Pack was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double.

After a scoreless eighth, the Cougars put runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth inning. Sean Boylan hit a ball into the right-centerfield gap that looked like it would score both runs but Rebar made a fantastic diving grab to keep the score 5-3 and set up King's comeback in the bottom of the inning.

Pack led the Monarchs with three hits, two runs, and two RBI. Shawn Stone had two hits and knocked in two runs while Sean McKee had a two-RBI double and scored twice. Cooper Johnson picked up his first collegiate win in relief. Johnson pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit and three walks with one strikeout. Billy Neill started for the Monarchs and picked up a no-decision on the mound. In four innings he allowed two runs on just one hit with four walks, two hit batsman, and three strikeouts. Nick Deno threw 2.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits, one walk, a hit batsman, and two strikeouts.

Tyler Holzapfel led the Cougars with two hits including a home run and Parker Abate who scored three runs. Elliot Forde picked up a no-decision pitching seven innings of eight-hit ball and allowed three runs with four strikeouts. Kyle Melahn picked up the loss allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.

King's and Misericordia will conclude their three-game season series on Thursday afternoon with a doubleheader at Tambur Field in Dallas. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on the campus of Misericordia.