WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 11, 2019) – Freshman Colby Toth pitched one of his best games of the year and the King's College offense gave him plenty of run support as the Monarch baseball team defeated crosstown rival Wilkes University 9-3 on Thursday afternoon in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom series opener from Lipo Field.
Working on just five days rest after his complete game victory over Delaware Valley on Saturday, Toth was even better through seven innings against the Colonels (11-15, 5-8 MAC Freedom) on Thursday. The lefty held WU to no runs and just three in the first seven innings. After a one-out walk and a single in the eighth Jacob Lupas was brought in the close out the game for King's (12-13, 8-5 MAC Freedom).
Toth got a lot of early run support as Matt Dobeck and Christian Pack hit back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the first. Dan Hartson knocked them in with a double to the fence in left. The Colonels got their first hit in the second as Matt Reinert hit a single on a slow roller to third base putting runners at first and second with two outs. Noah Adams got the Monarchs out of the inning with a bullet to third to catch Charles Giacometti trying to steal for the final out. Tyler Reynolds and Adams led off the bottom of the inning with singles, but Wilkes got a ground ball up the middle for a double play and a deep fly out down the right field line to get out of the inning.
On the mound, Toth retired eight straight Colonels before they were able to record their second hit of the game, a two-out single to left by Reinert in the fifth. The Monarchs opened up the game in the third with a big five-run inning on four hits and two errors. Dobeck led off with a single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch before Pack reached on a fielding error by the Colonel shortstop. KC loaded the bases on the next play as Hartson grounded into a fielder's choice to short, but the Colonels were unable to get an out of the play as the throw to second took the second baseman off the bag allowing Pack to slide in safely. Matt Mellinger made the error hurt with an RBI single up the middle chasing WU starter Gage Coudriet from the game.
Kyle Friebolin knocked in a run off the new pitcher with a sacrifice fly to center before Reynolds made it 5-0 with a single to left. Two batters later Mike Armstrong was hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Sean McKee. McKee knocked in the final two runs of the inning with a single down the leftfield line on the first pitch he saw from Nolan Ott. Pack led off the fourth before Hartson made it 9-0 with his first career home run down the leftfield line. Hartson, who just missed a home run on Tuesday hitting the top of the wall against Clarks Summit drove the first pitch he saw just inside the foul pole for a two-run shot.
The nine-run lead was all Toth needed on the mound as he shut down the Wilkes bats. Brady Wing led off the sixth with a single through the right side and then Michael Patrizio walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Toth got an infield fly to third and a hard liner to Armstrong who doubled off the runner at second to get out of the inning. In the eighth Lupas relieved Toth with runners on first and second and no outs. Patrizio singled up the middle to score the first run of the game for the Colonels. A stolen base, wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly gave Wilkes their other two runs. Lupas shut the Colonels down the rest of the way including a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts.
Toth's final line was two runs on four hits in 7.1 innings with three walks and a strikeout. He faced 27 batters and threw 91 pitches to improve to 4-0 on the year. Lupas allowed one run on two hits while recording the final five outs of the game. Dobeck led the offensive charge out of the leadoff spot with another great day at the plate. The sophomore had four hits in five at-bats and scored two runs. Hartson had two hits and knocked in four runs while scoring twice. Pack is now in sole possession of third on the modern era career hit list with another two hits to give him 177 for his career. The senior scored three times. Reynolds and Armstrong had two hits apiece for the Monarchs who recorded 15 in the game. Eight of the nine hitters had at least one hit in the game.
King's and Wilkes will wrap up the series on Saturday afternoon in Kingston with a doubleheader from Artillery Park starting at 1 pm.