MARCH 6, 2017

MONARCHS COME UP SHORT IN DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST WENTWORTH

AUBURNDALE, FL --- The King's College baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Monday at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, FL. The Leopards rallied to win the first game 8-3 and then won game two 9-5 in eight innings.

Wentworth improves to 4-0 on the season while King's falls to 3-3.

The Monarchs got on the board first in the second inning with three runs on three hits. Kyle Lupas led off with a single to right followed by a Sean Padden single to left center. Two batters later with runners on second and third and one out, Brad Wilkins hit a sacrifice fly down the right field line to score Padden. After Zach Godfrey walked, Sean McKee knocked in two runs with a triple over the right fielder's head. However the Leopards got out of the inning with a grounder to third.

Wentworth was able to manufacture a run in the fourth inning on two doubles. In the fifth inning the Monarchs were able to get a runner on third with two outs but the Leopards got a grounder to short to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning the Monarchs got the first two batters out before the Leopards hit a single to the gap in right center. After a wild pitch advancing the runner to second the next batter hit a grounder to third but the throw pulled Chris Rebar off the bag and into a collision with the Wentworth runner. Seeing the collision the other Leopard base runner rounded third and was able to score as no Monarch fielder was in the area of the ball to throw the runner out.

The Leopards continued their rally in the sixth with six runs on six hits. Five of the six runs came with two outs in the inning. After loading the bases the Monarchs got one out on a grounder to second where the throw came home first and the relay throw to first was late. The next batter then executed a perfect suicide squeeze to tie the game at three. The next batter gave Wentworth the lead with a two-run double to center. The next three Leopards batters had an RBI single, an RBI double, and an RBI single to take an 8-3 lead. The Monarchs got the lead-off batter on in the seventh but a fielder's choice and a 6-4-3 double play ended the game.    

McKee led the Monarchs with two hits in three at-bats while knocking in two run in the first game. Lupas, Padden, and Wilkins each recorded a hit while Padden, Christian Pack, and Godfrey scored a run each. Billy Neill received the loss on the mound throwing 5.2 innings in his first collegiate start. He allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Anthony Peacock allowed two runs on three hits in 0.1 innings of relief.

Wentworth was led by Christian Ferri and Tyler Weninger with three hits each. Jimmy Temte and Ross Golebiewski had two hits each. Ferri knocked in two runs and scored twice. Weninger got the complete game victory on the mound allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

In the second game the Leopard were able to manufacture a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Monarchs threatened to even the score in the bottom of the inning when McKee singled to left and Bruce Breithaupt legged out a bunt single to the pitcher with one out. However the Leopard turned a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.

In the second inning the Pack hit a bloop double down the right field line with one out. Wilkins moved him over to third on a grounder to second and then Shawn Stone knocked him in with a double to left center field.

Neither team was able to score again until the sixth inning though the Monarchs threatened in the fifth when Wilkins hit a lead-off double to left center and then was moved over to third on a grounder to second. Unfortunately the next two batters were unable to hit the ball out of the infield stranding Wilkins at third.

Wentworth took advantage of two throwing errors by the Monarchs in the sixth to score two runs. After back-to-back single to begin the inning, the Leopards put runners on second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Both runners then scored on the next play when the Leopard batter reached on a throwing error off a bunt. In the bottom of the inning the Monarchs responded with walks by McKee and Lupas. Padden then singled to load the bases with one out. Pack tied the game up at three with a single down the left field line and put runners on the first and second with one out. After a fly out to short left field Padden and Pack moved up to second and third on a wild pitch, but the Leopard got out of the inning with no more damage on a lineout to the second baseman.

In the seventh Ryan Hydock hit a lead-off single to left and then was pinch run for by Nick Neuhaus. Gibbons then moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt to third. McKee advanced Neuhaus to third with a ground out to short. Breithaupt was intentionally walked with two outs to put runners at the corner but the Leopards once again were able to get out of the inning with no runs scored on a popup to second.

The Wentworth bats came alive in the eighth inning as they were able to score six runs on six hits in the inning to take a 9-3 lead. In the bottom of the inning Padden led off with a single to left, followed by a Wilkins single to left with one out. Stone loaded the bases with a single to right. Paddedn scored on a wild pitch before the Leopards recorded a strikeout for the second out. Gibbons then knocked in Wilkins with a hit to left. Unfortunately the Monarch rally ended there as McKee's hard linear was grabbed by the third baseman to end the game.

Pack led King's in the second game with three hits, two RBIs, and one run scored. Padden and Wilkins had two hits and a run scored each while Stone added two hits and a RBI. Gibbons had a hit and knocked in a run. John Wickiser received the loss on the mound pitching 7.0 innings while facing one batter in the eighth. He allowed four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Mike Armstrong allowed four runs on two hits and one walk in 0.1 innings of relief and Connor Balloun got the final two outs but not before allowing one run on three hits.

Ferri, Jordan Burst, and Temte each had three hits for the Leopards while Weninger and Tim Elrick knocked in two runs each. Robby Sheldon got a no-decision pitching the first 5.1 innings allowing three runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Ryan Joyce got the win in relief pitching 2.1 innings while allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and a strikeout. Mike Callagee got the final out to receive the save.

Christian Pack led the Monarchs on the day with three hits, two runs scored, and two runs knocked in. Brad Wilkins, Sean Padden, and Sean McKee each had three hits on the day while Shawn Stone had two while playing in just the second game. Pack, Wilkins, and Stone all had a double while Stone knocked in two runs and Padden scored twice.

The Monarchs will be back in action on Friday when they take on Juniata College in a doubleheader on Field #4 of the Lake Myrtle Complex beginning at 9:00 a.m.