MAY 4, 2017

KING'S BASEBALL CLINCHES FREEDOM CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT BERTH, 3RD SEED WITH 7-6 WIN OVER EASTERN

WILKES-BARRE -- Junior designated hitter Kyle Lupas delivered a one-out RBI single to centerfield to score Christian Pack from second base as the King's College clinched a MAC Freedom Conference Tournament berth with a 7-6 victory over visiting Eastern University Thursday at Lipo Field.

With the win King's improved to 19-15 and 12-7 in league play. In the process the Monarchs locked up the third seed in next week's conference tournament. Eastern, meanwhile, slipped to 13-20 and 8-11.

With three regular-season league games remaining, King's entered the contest with a three game lead over Eastern and a one-game lead over Manhattanville. But King's win, combined with Manhattanville's 11-5 loss to Misericordia on Thursday, the Monarchs locked up third-place.

King's held a 6-4 lead entering the top of the eighth inning when Eastern pushed across a pair of runs to knot the score at 6-6. King's was unable to score in the bottom of the frame and then the Eagles were set down in order in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the frame King's Christian Pack battled a two-strike count by fouling off a number of pitches before poking an opposite field single to right field to lead off the inning.  Chris Rebar then moved Pack to second-base with a sacrifice bunt to give the Monarchs two out to bring home the winning run.

Lupas then followed and smacked a single to centerfield as Pack rounded third-base and beat the outfield throw home to score the winning run.  The win enabled King's secure its second straight Freedom Conference Tournament berth

King's took a 1-0 lead in the second when Pack singled and later scored from third on an infield grounder off the bat of Kyle Friebolin. The Monarchs added another run in the third when Sean McKee singled and eventually scored on a two-run single by Lupas.

Eastern scored two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead.  But the Monarchs battled back with a four-run sixth. Sean Padden, Friebolin, and Brad Wilkins all singled to load the bases. Padden scored on a wild pitch before Tom Gibbons came through with a two-run single to plate Friebolin and Wilkins.  Gibbons later scored from third an an infield ground out by Rebar as the Monarchs took a  6-4 lead before Eastern tied the score in the eighth.

Lupas was 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored once while Padden was 3-for-4 with one run scored. Pack finished 3-for-5 with a RBI and run while Wilkins went 2-for-4 with a run. Gibbons was 1-for-5 with two RBI for the Monarchs.

John Wickiser (5-2) was the winning pitcher in relief for King's, throwing the final one and one-third innings without allowing a base hit.

King's will close out the regular-season with a doubleheader Sunday at Eastern and will learn its first-round Freedom Conference opponent over the weekend. The Monarchs will play the second seed in the opening round of the Freedom Conference Tournament which will be either DeSales of Misericordia. DeSales currently holds a one-game lead over Misericordia heading into the final weekend doubleheader.

The Freedom Conference Championships will take place May 12-14 at Owls Field in West Lawn.