APRIL 6, 2002
BOB ZIADIE
KING'S BASEBALL SWEEPS SCRANTON, 5-4, 3-2
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College baseball team completed a three-game
sweep of the University Scranton by capturing both ends of a doubleheader
Saturday at Betzler Fields.
In the first game, King's rallied for a 5-4 win while taking the nightcap
by a 3-2 count.
In the opener, Scranton took a 1-0 lead when Les Carter singled and later
scored on a single by Pat Reed. The Monarchs knotted the score in their
half of the inning when Jon Deroba doubled and scored on a double by
Charlie Jenkins.
The score remained 1-1 until the sixth inning when Mike Astino hit a
towering solo home run over the left field fence. Reed and Steve
Urbanovich then followed with singles before Bobby Davis came through with
an opposite field bloop single to plate Reed. Urbanovich would then score
on a King's infield error as the Royals took a 4-1 lead into the
bottom-of-the-seventh.
But the Monarchs would rally when Kalym DeJesus reached base on an infield
single. Jason Melendez then followed with a single before Deroba advanced
runners to second and third with a bunt. After Charlie Jenkins was
hit by a pitch top load the bases, Jeremy Sauers drilled a double to left
field to score two runs to cut the lead to 4-3. Kyle Newberry then
followed with a two-run double to give King's a 5-4 lead. From there,
Monarch reliever Kyle Ehlis sat the Royals down in order to secure the
win.
In the nightcap, King's took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Chris
Rispoli, Andy French and Seamus Heaney all singled to load the bases.
Kalym DeJesus then drove in a run with an infield out before Jason
Melendez drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Scranton
scored a run in the fourth when Mike Urbanovich drilled a solo home run.
King's added a run in the fourth when DeJesus singled, stole second base
and scored on a sacrifice fly by Charlie Jenkins. The Royals would cut the
lead to 3-2 in the sixth when Joe Roche reached base on an error and would
later score on a RBI single by Bobby Davis. Scranton attempted to
rally in the seventh when Steve Aufenanger reached base with a single.
But pinch hitter Jason baker grounded into a double play to clear
the bases and end the threat.
Bill Serafin picked up the pitching win for the Monarchs in tossing a
complete-game six hitter while striking out four. Reed was the hard luck
loser in allowing just four King's hits.
With the sweep, King's improved to 8-14-1 overall and 4-8 in MAC Freedom
action. Scranton fell to 2-15-1 and 2-8 in conference action.
