Release Date: 4/30/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANSFIELD ELIMINATED FROM PSAC PLAYOFFS FALLING TO KUTZTOWN 12-8

STATE COLLEGE- The Mansfield University baseball team’s PSAC championship dreams fell short Friday afternoon at the Shaner Sports Complex in State College as the Mountaineers fell short to PSAC East rival Kutztown University 12-8.

From the very beginning the Mountaineers found themselves in a hole as Kutztown jumped out in front of Mansfield early, scoring three runs a piece in the first two innings and one in the third inning.

However, the Mountaineers came back in the top half of the fourth inning when Josh Rearick (Elton/Forest Hills) led the inning off with a single, followed by a Brandon Brokaw (Altoona/Altoona) single to set the stage for Eric Baker (Apalachin, N.Y./Owego) who got the scoring started by hitting a double to left-center field scoring Rearick for Mansfield’s first run of the game.

The Mountaineers would score six runs in the inning to come within one run of Kutztown’s 7-6 lead thanks in part to three Golden Bear errors that kept the inning alive for Mansfield.

Kutztown though responded in the bottom of the inning scoring three runs to increase the lead to 10-6.

The Golden Bears would add two more runs entering the top half of the ninth inning; Mansfield found themselves trailing 12-6.  With two outs in the inning the Mountaineers mounted a comeback.  Baker, D.J. Hoshauer (Hamburg/Hamburg Area) and Dan Kochenderfer (Lewistown/Lewistown) hit-back-to back-to back singles.  With the bases loaded Matt Mills (Clifton, VA/Centreville) doubled to left-center field scoring Baker and Hoshauer.

However, the Mountaineers rally would fall short as Kutztown held on to the 12-8 victory eliminating Mansfield from the PSAC Playoffs. The Mountaineers will now await a NCAA Regional bid to see if their season will continue. The bid will be announced on Monday May 10.

Mansfield University                          000     600     002                 8-12-3

Kutztown University                           331     300     11x                  12-15-3

Mansfield University (31-19) Dan Yoder (L, 5-3) John Cronin (2) Kane Stein (4) Marty Rakaczewski (8) and D.J. Hoshauer.

2b-Eric Baker and Matt Mills

RBI-Matt Mills (2), Josh Rearick, Eric Baker, D.J. Hoshauer, Dan Kochenderfer and David Meldrum

Kutztown University (33-13) M. Haverly, M. Keller (4) (W, 6-3) M. McCardell (9) and C. Kuklick

2b-J. Fink, R. Loper and K. Costello

3b-R. Loper

HR- C. Kuklick (5)

RBI- R. Loper (2), K. Costello (2), C. Kuklick, J. Fink, P. Koropchak, G. Canuso, G. Rada, and P.J. Gallo