MAY 5, 2010
MONARCHS DROP FREEDOM TOURNEY OPENER TO DESALES
CENTER VALLEY – Mike Newland hit two grand slam home runs to power the top-seeded DeSales University baseball team to a 19-10 victory over fourth-seeded victory over King’s College in the opening game of the 2010 Freedom Conference Tournament Wednesday at Butz Field in Center Valley.
With the win, DeSales improved to 25-14 while the Monarchs fell to 23-15.
DeSales struck first in the bottom of the first inning Jack Kavetski reached second on a two-base Monarch error. Mike Newland then doubled to give the Bulldogs runners at second and third with no outs. Derek Moyer then registered an infield single to bring home Kavetski for a 1-0 lead. After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third with one-out, Jason Hadinger walked to load the bases. Ethan Moser then lofted a sacrifice fly to push the score to 2-0. Andrew Fehr followed up with an RBI single to plate Moyer with the second unearned run of the inning as the Bulldog lead grew to 3-0.
King’s looked to counter when Matt Unger led off with a single down the left field line, then moved to second on a passed ball. After an infield out moved Unger to third, Mike Fignar stroked a RBI single to center to cut the lead to 3-1.
In the top half of the third inning, King’s Rob Lemoncelli led off by reaching base on an infield error. Joey Troxell would single up the middle, but a DeSales throwing error allowed Lemoncelli to score on the play as Troxell moved to third. Rob Fravel then drew a walk. King’s knotted the score at 3-3 when Troxell scored on a double play.
DeSales responded in a big way when Hadinger led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run over the centerfield fence. After Moser was hit by a pitch and stole second base, Fehr lined out to center. Derek Chrismer followed with a single to center to give DeSales runners at first and third with one out. After Zucchi struck out looking Kavetski drew a walk to load the bases. Newland then delivered a grand-slam home run over the right field fence as the Bulldog advantage grew to 8-3. Moyer then doubled and scored on another double off the bat of Sloanaker. After Hadinger walked, Moser poked a RBI single to right field to give the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead after tallying seven runs in the inning.
In the top of the fourth for King’s, Brian Mikus led off with a double and Jeremy Bonser singled to center. Fignar followed with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Mikus and bring the score to 10-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, DeSales added two runs to build a 12-4 lead.
In the fifth, Troxell led off by being hit by a pitch and Fignar singled to center. Mikus came through with a RBI single to make the score 12-5. Bonser then drew a walk to load the bases and Fignar was hit by a pitch, forcing in Troxell to bring the Monarchs to within 12-6.
But the Bulldogs blew the game open in the bottom half of the fifth with five runs, ignited by Newland who hit his second grand slam of the day to give DeSales a 17-6 lead.
King’s continued to fight back in the sixth when Lemoncelli singled, moved to second on a base hit from Rob Fravel. and later scored on a single by Chris Sweeney. Mikus and Bonser then followed with back-to-back RBI singles as the Monarchs clawed back to within 17-9.
In the seventh, Eric Matula led off with a single on moved to second after a base hit by Lemoncelli. Fravel then drove in Matula with a single to right field to bring the score to 17-10.
But DeSales put the game away with two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to give DeSales a 19-10 advantage.
.Newland finished the game 4-for-6 with eight RBI and scored three runs. Sloanaker was 3-for-5 with three RBI while Moyer was 3-for-6 with three runs scored.
For the Monarchs, Mikus was 3-for-5 with two RBI while Fravel went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Bonser was 3-for-4 while Troxell went 1-for-4 and scored two runs. Monarch starter Dan Jenkins took the loss, allowing 10 runs, seven earned on 10 hits.
King’s will continue Freedom Conference Tournament Saturday at Bear Stadium in Boyertown.. The Monarchs will face second-seeded FDU-Florham at 11:00 a.m. in the double-elimination event. The Devils fell to Manhattanville 10-6 in the other first-round game Wednesday. DeSales will meet Manhattanville at 1:00 p.m.