BASEBALL

EDWARDSVILLE -- Pitching ruled the day as the King's College and Wilkes University baseball team split a doubleheader Sunday at Artillery Park in Edwardsville.

King's won the first game 2-1 before Wilkes triumphed in the second-game 1-0 in an exciting nine-inning battle. With the split, King's stands at 10-10 overall and 5-6 in Freedom Conference play. Wilkes, meanwhile, moved to 11-9 overall and 4-5 in league games.

In the opener, Monarch senior pitcher Matt Livoy (left) was brilliant, tossing a complete-game, seven-inning four-hitter while striking out nine batters.

The Monarchs would take a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Matt Unger belted a solo home run. The Colonel would tie the game in the third inning when Corey Helfrich tripled and scored on a single by Brad Woznisky. From there, Livoy would hold the Colonels at bay, retiring 13 of the last 15 batters he faced in the game.

The Monarchs pushed across the deciding run in the sixth inning when J.R. Graver singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Livoy, and scored on a single by Jon Venarchick. Graver and Gracjan Kraszewski led King's eight hit attack with two hits apiece.

In the second game King's starter Dan Jenkins and Wilkes' Helfrich were both outstanding as neither hurler allowed a run. Jenkins held the Colonels to six hits in seven innings and struck out seven batters before being removed in the eighth. Helfrich, meanwhile, kept the Monarchs off the board through eight innings, allowing six hits with eight strikeouts.

Wilkes would push across the deciding run in the bottom of the ninth inning when Miller singled and Clocker drew a walk from Monarch relief pitcher John McNichol. The Colonels would then load the bases when King's reliever Aaron Deroba walked Kyle Follweiler. With Helfrich at the plate, Deroba would toss a wild pitch, allowing Miller to score from third-base with the winning run.

Unger led King's with two hits while Graver, Venarchick, Kraszewski, and Sean Rooney added singles.

The teams will conclude their three-game series Monday at 3:30 p.m. with a single game at King's Betzler Fields.

View the action as it happens on LIVE STATS at the link below:

http://departments.kings.edu/athletics/sportsinfo/Live_Stats_Game_List.htm