Four-Run Fourth Leads Kutztown Past Ship Baseball, 4-2
April 6, 2005
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Kutztown University baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and prevented a comeback from Shippensburg University in taking a 4-2 victory in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover Wednesday.
Sophomore Scott Goss went 2-for-4 with a triple and run scored for the Red Raiders (14-18), who lost their sixth-straight.
Shippensburg stranded eight runners on base and had three runners caught stealing by Golden Bear catcher Clay Cuklick, who prevented a golden opportunity for the Red Raiders in the top of the eighth. Trailing 4-2, Shippensburg junior Nick Erdman (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) singled and senior Chad Stecker (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) walked to put runners on first and second with two outs.
However, earlier in the inning, freshman Eric Dezell (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) reached first on a Kutztown (21-11) error to lead off the inning, but was then thrown out at second by Cuklick. Had Dezell not been caught stealing, the bases would have been loaded with one out following Stecker's walk.
Regardless, the Golden Bears' Philip Rummel struck out junior Jamie Mengle (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) to end the inning and preserve Kutztown's two-run lead.
Shippensburg also threatened in the fifth with runners on first and second and only one out, but Ryan Loper got junior Eric Perlozzo (Cumberland, Md./Bishop Walsh) to ground into a fielder's choice before striking out junior Jeremy Hess (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg).
The Golden Bears scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off Red Raider sophomore starter Ross Buckwalter (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) with three, RBI-singles and a fielder's choice. Mike McCardell scored the eventual game-winning run on a fielder's choice by Kyle Costello for Kutztown's third run of the game.
Shippensburg scored one run each in the sixth and seventh innings, but was denied its comeback attempt in the eighth. Erdman drove in the Red Raiders first run of the game when he reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Dezell. In the seventh, Goss scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Hess.
Buckwalter is still looking for his first win this season after dropping his fourth game of the season, totaling 4.0 innings and allowing five hits and four earned runs. Senior Brad Fritz (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle Antrim) pitched three innings in relief of Buckwalter, holding the Golden Bears to just one hit while retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced.
Shippensburg returns home to face Lock Haven University in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Fairchild Field. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m.
- Red Raider Baseball -
