WILKES-BARRE (PA) – King's College got a walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat visiting Delaware Valley University, 9-8, and secure a berth in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom postseason.
It was the final MAC Freedom game for both teams and the Aggies finished with a 5-15 record while the Monarchs ended with a 12-9 mark and one game ahead of Manhattanville for the fourth, and final seed.
A crazy ninth inning started with DelVal trailing by two runs, 8-6. With runners on first and second, and nobody out,
Tom Crooks hit a single to left to score
Timmy Lallis from second. One batter later, Luke
Hendricks hit a sacrifice fly to left-center to tie the game at 8-8.
Sammy Amos and Trevor Musselman then hit consecutive singles to load the bases with one out, however, the Monarchs got a foul out and a ground out end the threat.
In the bottom of the ninth, an error and hit by pitch resulted in runners at first and third with two outs for the Monarchs. Consecutive walks to the next two batters resulted in the game-winning run and a 9-8 final.
King's led by five after the first innings. It got four hits in the frame including a bases-loaded double by Sean Padden that scored three. Shawn Stone and Brad Wilkins added RBI singles to make it 5-0.
DelVal got one back in the second thanks to a
Ryan Schuetrumpf RBI. In the fourth, the Aggies plated three runs on three hits to pull within one, 5-4.
Jeremy Stewart plated two with a single and
Steve Smith knocked an RBI single.
In the bottom of the fourth, Chris Rebar took a 3-2 pitcher deep to right-center, and Dan Hartson hit an RBI single in the fifth to put the Monarchs up, 7-4, after five.
DelVal climbed back to within one with one run in the seventh and eighth innings.
Ben Lippincott and Schuetrumpf had the RBIs. King's tacked on one in the eighth to make it 8-6 and set up the ninth inning dramatics.
Five different Aggies had two-hits including Stewart who added a pair of RBIs. Amos, Crooks, Lallis, and Musselman also had two base knocks.
Kevin Crill started the game and went five innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits.
James Eldridge went 3.2 innings and suffered the loss, allowing two runs and two hits with four walks.
Rebar led all players with three hits including the home run. Hartson and Padden each finished with two hits and two runs scored, with Padden adding three RBIs. Chris Lupole pitched three innings in relief and took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits. Billy Neill started the game and gave up five hits and four runs with three walks.
The Aggies (10-22 overall) will finish the regular season with a double header at home, on Wednesday, against The College of New Rochelle at 1:30 p.m.
