RELEASE DATE: 4/02/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIES SCORE FIVE RUNS IN TOP OF EIGHTH INNING IN 6-1 WIN AT KUTZTOWN – WILL PLAY TRIPLEHEADER AT SHAUTE FIELD ON SATURDAY

KUTZTOWN – David Meldrum (Venetia/Peters Twp) drove in the winning run with a pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth inning and Travis Wurster (Montoursville/Montoursville) followed with a two-run double as Mansfield scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Kutztown 6-1 in a key PSAC East game at North Campus Field Friday afternoon.

The second game was postponed because of rain and will be played as part of a tripleheader at Shaute Field on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

The game was a pitching dual throughout much of regulation between the Mountaineers Jeff Papi (Tunkhannock/Tunkhannock) and Kutztown’s Matt Haverly. Each pitcher went five innings with Papi allowing just two hits while striking out two.

Mansfield broke up a scoreless tie with a solo run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Stu Sumner (New Columbia/Milton). Kutztown tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth and looked as if they would score more than a run before Marty Rakaczewski(Wilkes-Barre/Hanover) came in relief to snuff the threat stranding two runners.

DJ Hoshauer (Hamburg/Hamburg) led off the top of the eighth with a single and moved to second when Dan Kochenderfer (Lewistown/Lewistown) was hit by a pitch. Kutztown then brought in Matt Keller who struck out the first batter he faced. Meldrum then hit for Brett Shockloss (Montoursville/Montoursville)  and singled to drive in a run. Sumner was hit by a pitch before Wurster’s double scored two more runs. A two-run single by Eric Baker (Apalachin,NY/Owego) capped off the inning.

Rakaczewski allowed just two hits in three innings with a strikeout to improve to 3-1 on the season. Wurster had his most productive day of the season going 3-4 with a double and two RBI’s.

Mansfield improves to 17-9 overall and remains perfect in the PSAC East with a 5-0 record. Kutztown falls to 16-8 overall and 3-2 in the PSAC East.

Mansfield         000      100      05        6-10-2

Kutztown         000      001      00        1-4-1

Mansfield (17-9, 5-0): Jeff Papi, Marty Rakaczewski (6) (W, 3-1) and DJ Hoshauer

2b – Brandon Brokaw, Travis Wurster

RBI – Wurster 2, Eric Baker 2, David Meldrum

Kutztown (16-8, 3-2): Matt Haverly, Mike McCardell (6) (L, 1-2), Matt Keller (8) and Clay Kuklick

RBI – Greg Rada