MARCH 29, 2003
BOB ZIADIE
KING'S BASEBALL DEFEATS DREW,
8-7
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's
College baseball team pushed across the deciding three runs in the sixth
inning to post an 8-7 victory over visiting Drew University in the first
game of a scheduled Freedom Conference doubleheader Saturday at Betzler
Fields. The second game was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.
The Monarchs trailed 7-5
heading into the bottom half of the sixth inning. With one out, Ryan Soden
drew a walk and safely moved to second base on a fielder's choice,
allowing Bill Drazdowski to reach first base. After Chris Rispoli's
infield out advanced runners to second and third, Dan Buckley walked to
load the bases. Jeff Wells would then deliver a two-run single to knot the
game at 7-7. With two out, Charlie Jenkins singled home Buckley with what
proved to be the winning run.
King's took a 1-0 lead in the
second when Wells singled and scored on a base hit by Rob Medlock. The
Monarchs added two more in the third inning when Drazdowski doubled and
scored on a base hit by Rispoli. Three batters later, Rispoli would score
on an error to give the Monarchs a 3-0 lead.
Drew battled back to score
four runs in the fourth, but King's answered with two runs in the fifth.
Jeremy Sauers doubled and scored on a base hit from Wells. Nick Sorino
would later drive in Wells with a base hit to give King's a 5-4 advantage.
The Rangers answered with three runs in the top half of the sixth inning
before the Monarchs made their game-winning rally.
Drazdowski was 3-for-4 with
three RBI, while Drazdowski was also 3-for-4 while scoring two runs.
Sauers and Sorino added two hits for the Monarchs, who improved to 7-8
overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Paul Kapral picked up the
pitching victory to improve to 3-2 on the year. The Monarch hurler went
the distance, allowing seven runs, three which were earned, while striking
out six batters.
