MARCH 9, 2018

MONARCHS RALLY FOR THREE RUNS IN THE SEVENTH INNING TO DEFEAT TRINE 5-3 IN GAME ONE

WINTER HAVEN, FL --- The King's College baseball team rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to defeat Trine University 5-3 on Friday afternoon in the first of two games at the Chain O'Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven. Trine won the nightcap 14-7.

The Monarchs hold a 1-5 record to begin the season while Trine stands at 5-3.

King's opened up the scoring in the second inning with back-to-back walks to start the inning by Matt Mellinger and Bruce Breithaupt. Shawn Stone moved them over to second and third with a sacrifice bunt and then Kyle Friebolin knocked in Mellinger with a sac fly to right center.

The Thunder responded in the bottom of the third when they took advantage of a Monarchs error to score two runs on two hits.  Trine added another unearned run in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.

The Monarchs threatened to score in the fifth when Dan Hartson laced a two-out single to the gap in right-center and then advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt that went down the right-field line. However, he was stranded there. The Thunder loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with two outs but John Wickiser got out of the inning with a grounder to Pack at short.

The Monarchs cut the lead in half in the sixth inning when Stone hit a two-out single to left field to plate Mellinger from second. Unfortunately for the Monarchs, Breithaupt was gunned down trying to advance to third on the play to end the inning. The Thunder were able to put people on second and third with one out in the bottom of the inning but Wickiser was once again able to get out of the jam on a foul pop out to the catcher and a liner to short.

In the seventh, the Monarchs loaded the bases on two errors and a perfectly placed bunt single by Harston. Chris Rebar knocked in the tying run with a groundout to second before Kyle Lupas gave the Monarchs the lead with a two-out single up the middle to score Pack and Hartson.

Chris Lupole came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got two quick outs. After a single and a throwing error to put runners on first and second Lupole ended the game when he induced a pop up to third in foul territory.

Hartson led the Monarchs with three hits in the game while Lupas added two hits and knocked in the game-winning runs. Mellinger scored twice and had a hit. Wickiser picked up his first win of the year with six innings of nine-hit ball while allowing three runs, of which only one was earned and striking out two. Lupole got the save allowing one hit in the last inning.  

The Thunder got on the board first in the nightcap after loading the bases with two outs in the first. Jacob Heller scored on a wild pitch before the Monarchs were able to get out of the inning on a grounder to short. The Monarchs responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Hartson got on to lead off the inning when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the Thunder catcher. Pack knocked him in when he reached on a throwing error by the second baseman. Pack then stole second and Rebar and Mellinger walked to load the bases. Pack and Rebar scored on the next play as Breithaupt hit into a fielder's choice to short. Rebar made an aggressive turn around third on the play and headed home when the Trine second baseman had trouble transferring the ball from his glove to his hand after making the out at second.

Trine responded in the second inning with six runs including five unearned runs on five hits. King's could've gotten out of the inning with just one run allowed but a throwing error with two outs prolonged the inning and allowed a run to score. The Thunder added three more runs in the third and fourth innings each and another run in the fifth to take a 14-4 lead.

The Monarchs loaded the bases to start the fifth and scored two runs and then added another one in the sixth to set the final score.

Mellinger increased his hitting streak to six games to begin his collegiate career with two hits and a run scored. Stone also had two hits while Breithaupt knocked in two runs and scored twice. Nick Deno got the loss on the mound allowing seven runs, only two earned, on eight hits and struck out one. Jacob Lupas made his collegiate debut and pitched 3.1 innings of relief and allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts. Brandon Moffitt pitched the final two innings and allowed five hits and struck out two.

King's will wrap up their Florida trip on Saturday with two games against John Carroll University. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale.