NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - The Penn State New Kensington baseball team won its first PSUAC contest of the season Saturday afternoon against Penn State Fayette, 14-12. New Kensington improves to 2-12 and 1-9 in the PSUAC, while Fayette drops to 3-8 and 2-6 PSUAC.
Fayette went up 4-0 in the top of the first before New Kensington got on the board with its own run in the bottom of the inning. Vinny Ribar (Apollo, Pa.) walked, stole second and then came home on a double by Jake Stackiewicz (Murrysville, Pa.) to make the score 4-1. Michael Dauer (Lower Burrell, Pa.) was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the second and New Kensington batters drew four walks in a row to bring the score to 4-3. Alex Polka (Vandergrift, Pa.) then reached on an infield single, scoring two runs and giving New Kensington the lead 5-3.
Fayette scored four runs in the top of the fourth, but New Kensington responded with three runs of its own in the the bottom half. Stackiewicz got on base with a walk and then stole his way to third base where he came home on a RBI from Dylan Wiley (Murrysville, Pa.). Then, three straight walks loaded the bases for Darius Bennis (Leechburg, Pa.). Bennis came through with a single that brought two men across home plate and tied the game at 8-8.
A Stackiewicz single brought in another run in the bottom of the fifth, and was followed by a single from Polka that brought home Stackiewicz, leaving the score 10-8.
New Kensington put up another four runs in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Shane Molyneaux singled to score one run. Stackiewicz picked up another RBI on a base-hit to centerfield. New Kensington scored two more runs on a wildpitch and a Fayette error to take the lead 14-8. Fayette scores one run in the seventh and three more in the eighth, but New Kensington held on for the 14-12 victory.
Stackiewicz had three hits, four RBI, and scored four runs, while Bennis had three hits and two RBI. Polka picked up three RBI on two hits.
Tyler Kline (Butler, Pa.) went seven and a third innings and picked up the win on the mound. Stackiewicz pitched one and two-third innings of relief, striking out three.
New Kensington will face Penn State Greater Allegheny in another PSUAC match-up Friday, Apr. 2. Game time is 2:00 p.m.
