APRIL 9, 2017

KING'S BASEBALL TEAM SALVAGES SPLIT WITH DESALES IN FREEDOM CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER

CENTER VALLEY -- The King's College scored eight runs in the second inning of a game-two doubleheader to post a 11-8 victory and salvage a split with perennial Freedom Conference contender DeSales University Sunday in Center Valley. DeSales won the first game 16-6.

With the split, King's stands at 11-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play while DeSales is 10-11 and 6-2 in league competition.

In the nightcap, King's trailed 3-2 in the second when the Sean McKee delivered a two-run single, Christian Pack followed with a RBI double, and Chris Rebar stroked a two-run single to give the Monarchs a 7-3 lead. After a Kyle Lupas double, Shawn Stone lofted a sacrifice fly push the score to 9-3. Tom Gibbons then followed up with a run-scoring single to give the Monarchs advantage.

After DeSales scored three in the third inning to cut the lead to 10-6, their final run in the sixth when Rebar smacked a solo home run, his fifth of the season, over the left-centerfield fence to give the Monarchs a 11-6 lead.  

DeSales added two runs in the seventh but King's put out the fire to earn the victory.

In game-two Rebar was 3-for-4 with four RBI, a home run, and scored two runs. McKee went 2-for-4 with two runs, a double, and two RBI while Lupas finished 2-for-4 with a double and run scored. John Wickiser picked up the pitching win in relief, allowing two runs in four and one-third innings of work.

With the split, King's head coach Jerry Greeley picked up his 900th career coaching victory, including his time as head coach at King's, Penn State Wilkes-Barre, and Orloski's collegiate/semi-professional baseball team.

In the opener, DeSales broke open a close game by scoring 13 runs over the final two innings to register a 16-6 victory. McKee was 2-for-3 for King's while Gibbons was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Nick Deno was the hard-luck losing pitcher for King's, allowing five hits and three unearned runs in five innings of work.

The teams will play the deciding game of their three-game conference series Monday with a 3:30 PM matchup at King's Lipo Field in the Betzler Athletic Complex.