APRIL 23, 2017

KING'S BASEBALL SALVAGES SPLIT WITH WILKES, WINS SERIES 2-1

EDWARDSVILLE -- The King's College baseball team used a six-run second inning en route to a 12-7 victory over cross-town rival Wilkes University to salvage a split in a Freedom Conference doubleheader at Artillary Park. Wilkes won the opener 15-3 but the Monarchs' game-two triumph enabled King's to win the three-game season 2-1.

In the nightcap, King's fell behind 1-0 in the first inning but came alive in the second frame. Tom Gibbons delivered a two-run double and Chris Rebar belted a three-run home run as the Monarchs forged ahead 6-1.

After Wilkes scored one run in the fourth and two in the fifth to close to within 6-4, King's countered in the sixth with a two-run home run from Rebar, his second of the game and eighth of the season, to build a 8-4 advantage.

But Wilkes battled back with three in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 8-7.  King's then put the game away when Gibbons delivered a RBI double and Rebar stroked a two-run triple to give the Monarchs a 12-7 lead.

King's relief pitcher John Wickiser then sat the Colonels down in order in the bottom of the seventh to give King's the victory. Billy Neill picked up the win for King's, allowing three earned runs in four and two-thirds innings.

Rebar has a remarkable game, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, seven RBI, and scored three runs.  Kyle Lupas was 3-for-5 with a double and RBI while Gibbons went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and scored twice.  Bruce Breithaupt finished 2-for-4 and registered his 100th career hit on a fifth inning single. 

In the opener, King's took a 1-0 lead in the top-of-the second inning when Shawn Stone walked and later scored on a RBI single by Sean Padden.

But the lead was short-lived as the Colonels scored 12 runs in the inning and never looked back.  Padden and Dan Hartson had the only two hits of he game for King's.  Nick Deno was the losing pitcher, allowing seven runs on six hits in one and two-thirds innings.

King's will next host Marywood Wednesday at 4:00 PM at Lipo Field.