APRIL 15, 2016

KING'S BASEBALL POSTS 4-0 ROAD WIN OVER EASTERN IN SERIES OPENER

ST. DAVIDS -- Junior pitcher Zach Palansky thew the first nine-inning complete game shutout of his career as the King's College baseball team picked up a big 4-0 Freedom Conference road victory over host Eastern University Friday in St. Davids.

The teams entered the weekend tied for fourth in the Freedom Conference standings. With the win King's improved to 15-7 and 5-4 in Freedom Conference games while Eastern is 10-12 and 4-5.

The Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Chris Rebar stroked a solo home run over the centerfield fence. The Monarchs added another run in the fourth when Brad Wilkins reached base on an error and later scored on a RBI single by Tom Gibbons.

The Monarchs stretched the lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Bruce Breithaupt smacked a solo home run of his own over the centerfield fence. King's added its final run in the eighth when Zack Godfrey walked and scored when Gibbons followed with a double to right centerfield.

Palansky, meanwhile, gutted out the first complete-game nine-inning win of his three years with the Monarchs, throwing a career-high 128 pitches while scattering 10 hits and striking out four.  The outing was important for the Monarchs in that the team's weekend schedule features five games in three days. Palansky's outing allowed King's coach Jerry Greeley to keep his staff fresh. 

Gibbons was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI while Beithaupt was 2-for-5 with a solo home run. Wilkins finished 2-for-5 with a run while Sean Padden was 3-for-4 with a double. Rebar finished 1-for-4 with a solo home run.

The teams will complete their final two games Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at King's Lipo Field.