MARCH 25, 2017

KING'S WINS FIRST GAME 5-3 BEFORE AGGIES RALLY FOR 3-2 VICTORY IN GAME TWO

DOYLESTOWN, PA --- The King's College baseball team opened up conference play with a doubleheader split with Delaware Valley University on Saturday at Frank Wolfgang Field in Doylestown. The Monarchs won the opener 5-3 before the Aggies rallied for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

The Monarchs, who were playing for the first time in two weeks since returning from Florida due to snow, are now 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom while the Aggies are 6-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

King's got up early on the Aggies with two runs in the first inning of the first game. Chris Rebar walked with one out, stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch after Bruce Breithaupt was walked to put runners on the corners. Kyle Lupas knocked in Rebar with a sacrifice fly to center for the first run of the game. Christian Pack followed that up with an infield single to second off of a rocket that deflected off the first baseman who had no time to react. After Sean McKee walked to load the bases Brad Wilkins hit a two-out RBI single to center to give King's a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the second inning Nick Deno struck out two batters was was helped defensively by Pack who made a nice diving stop on a ground up the middle and then threw the runner out at first. The Monarchs increased their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the inning when Lupas knocked in Rebar on a single to right center.

The Aggies were able to get on the board in the fourth when Kyle Wenger hit a triple to left center that Wilkins just missed grabbing on a diving attempt. Wenger then scored on the next play when he beat a throw home on a grounder to first.

Offensively the Monarchs struggled to get anyone past first base in the third, fourth, and fifth inning. Defensively Deno got them out of jams in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth The Aggies put runners on first and second with two outs. They were able to get out of the inning when Rebar grabbed a line drive before it hit the ground at first base. In the sixth Deno loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to begin the inning and then a two-out infield single to third. He then went down 3-0 to the next batter before battling back to record a strikeout ending the threat.

In the bottom of the inning Wilkins led off with a single up the middle and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sean Padden. Zack Godfrey singled to center and then Tom Gibbons knocked in a run with a fielder's choice to third where he beat the relay throw to first. Gibbons then stole second before Rebar walked, and stole third on a double steal attempt. He then scored on the steal attempt when the catcher's throw went into left field.

The Aggies made things interesting in the seventh against John Wickiser who entered in relief of Deno who had thrown 88 pitches. The leadoff man got on when Rebar and Wickiser were unable to connect with each other on a grounder to first. After a walk to Wenger with one out, Delaware Valley cut the lead to 5-2 with a double to deep center field with one out. Wenger then was knocked in on a sacrifice fly to center to bring the Aggies within two. However Wickiser ended the game with a grounder to short to pick up his third career save.

Wilkins and Godfrey led the Monarchs with two hit each in the game. Lupas knocked in two runs while Rebar scored twice. On the mound Deno picked up his third win of the year giving up one run on five hits in six innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Sammy Amos knocked in two runs to lead the Aggies while Wenger scored twice. Jeremy Hefele picked up the loss on the mound allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with seven walks, and a strikeout in 5.2 innings.

In the second game Dan Hartson let up an infield single to first to begin the game. However on  the very next pitch the runner was thrown out by a mile trying to steal second. He then retired the next 10 hitters including a five pitch third inning with three ground outs.

The Monarchs got on the board in the first inning when Lupas hit a RBI single to center to score Rebar from second. However two fly outs got Delaware Valley out of the inning with no more damage. King's threatened to score in the third when Gibbons led off with a walk, and then stole second. After Breithaupt was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out, the next two batters got out to end the inning.

The Aggies tied the game at one in the fourth when Wenger hit a two-out double to right center and was knocked in on a single to center. Hartson was able to get a fly ball to center to get out of the inning with no more damage done. In the fifth inning Hartson struck out the first batter before making a wonderful defensive play on a slow dribbler down the third baseline just beating the runner on a bullet throw to first. He ended the inning with another strikeout.

Rebar gave the Monarchs back the lead in the fifth when he knocked the third pitch he saw about 380 feet over the right centerfield fence for his second home run of the year. Lupas hit a one-out double down to left field line and McKee walked to put runners on first and second with two outs but the Aggies got out of the inning with no more damage when Wilkins lined out to left.

Delaware Valley rallied for two runs on one hit and an error in the sixth. The first run scored on a grounder to short with runners on second and third that was unable to be fielded cleanly by the shortstop. The next run scored on another ground to short with one out and runners on the corners where the relay throw to first for the double play was late.

In the bottom of the inning Godfrey and Rebar walked and then advanced to second and third on a wild pitch with two outs. However the Aggies got Breithaupt to fly out to left to end the inning. In the seventh the Monarchs went down in order to give Delaware Valley the victory.

Rebar led the Monarchs in the second game with a home run and scored both of King's runs. Lupas had two of the Monarch's five hits in the game and knocked in a run.

Dan Hartson was the hard luck loser on the mound allowing three runs, two earned, on just four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Matt Hassick got the final two outs on eight pitches.

Kevin Crill had two hits for the Aggies while Wenger scored twice and Amos knocked in two. Trevor Dalton picked up his third win of the year allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits, four walks, and two strikeouts in five innings of work. Brendan Giampa picked up a two inning save while not allowing a hit and walking two with two strikeouts.

Kyle Lupas led the Monarchs with three hits in five at-bats on the day while knocking in three runs. Zack Godfrey and Brad Wilkins had two hits each and Chris Rebar scored four runs and walked five times.

The Monarchs and Aggies are scheduled to play the rubber match in the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in Doylestown.