MARCH 19, 2003
BOB ZIADIE
MONARCH BASEBALL TEAM BESTS
DEFENDING CHAMPION DESALES
WILKES-BARRE -- Despite the fact the 2003 season is still in its
early stages, the young King's College baseball team picked up a crucial
win as the Monarchs upset three-time defending MAC Freedom Conference
champion DeSales University Wednesday at Betzler Fields.
King's took a 2-0 lead in the first when Bill Drazdowski and Chris Rispoli
singled. Jeremy Sauers then followed with a run scoring single to plate
Drazdowski. Rispoli would then score when DeSales picked off Sauers
at first base.
DeSales would then score a
pair of runs in the second inning thanks to a pair of King's errors.
then added a run in the top half of the third to take a 3-2 lead.
King's would tie the score in the fourth inning when Charlie Jenkins
singled and scored on a double by Chris Persak.
The game remained tied until the sixth when Jason Melendez, Ryan Soden and
Drazdowski stroked singles to load the bases. After an infield grounder
resulted in a force out at home, Sauers ripped a single up the middle to
score both Soden and Drazdowski to give King's a 5-3 lead.
DeSales would counter when Nolan Nieman was hit by a pitch with one out
and later scored on a double by Miek Cohan. But Monarch relief pitcher
Bill Serafin worked out of the jam to keep King's on top entering the
final frame.
In the ninth, DeSales Kyle Hoffman reached base on an error but Jenkins
and Meledez turned a clutch double-play to free the bases. Serafin would
then induce a soft infield ground out to end the game.
Paul Kapral picked up the win
for King's, tossing six inning of three-hit ball while striking out four
batters. Serafin tossed the final three innings to pick up the save.
Drazdowski led King's
offensive with three hits, while Sauers added two hits and three big RBI.
King's out hit DeSales 11-6 while improving to 5-4 on the year.
