MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - New Kensington baseball split another pair of games on the second day of spring training competition in Myrtle Beach on Monday.
New Kensington earned a 10-4 win over Bay College beating them for the second time in two days. In game two, the men dropped a 15-10 decision to the Henry Ford College Hawks in seven innings of play. New Kensington is now 2-2 on the season.
The men returned to the Ripken Experience facility again to take on Bay College for the second time. The Norse allowed 10 runs while New Kensington only gave up four. The men held their lead to win the game.
Henry Ford College allowed three runs in the second, three runs in the fourth, and two in the seventh. The Hawks ran across eight times in the third inning to extend their lead out of the reach of New Kensington, finishing with a 15-10 win.
Game 1
Jake Wilson (Fort Myers, Fla. / Fort Myers) got the start for New Kensington, throwing five innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out four batters and walked three. AJ Collins (Penn Hills, Pa. / Penn Hills) took over, throwing two scoreless innings while striking out two batters and walking two.
New Kensington had another strong offensive start on a Nick Osborne (Hermitage, Pa. / Hickory) grounder to right field that drove in Dale Egenlauf (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear). One inning later Thomas Santiago Jr. (Jersey City, N.J. / M.E.T.S. Charter) scored on a wild pitch.
At the top of the third, Jared Busche (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Gateway) doubled on a fly ball to right field allowing Egenlauf to cross the plate again. Luis Osorio (Bethlehem, Pa. / Freedom) dropped a fly ball into right field for Tallon Auth (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum) to score. Reise Matson (Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong) contributed on a single to left field to drive in Max Oliveri (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills). New Kensington earned one run in each of the first five innings.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth. Max Oliveri tripled at the top of the seventh to bring home Osorio. This was followed by a Matson pop fly that allowed another run across by Oliveri. Jared Busche's double to center field drove in Zack Woolheater (Munhall, Pa. / Steel Valley) followed by a triple off the bat of Tallon Auth that brought home Busche and Sasntiago Jr. The men ended with a 10-4 win.
Game 2
New Kensington fell to Henry Ford College later in the day. The men allowed three runs in the first inning while running across twice. New Kensington tallied three runs in the second to the Hawks zero.
Henry Ford College added eight runs in the third and New Kensington responded with three more in the fourth. After one scoreless inning, the Hawks extended their lead with another run in the sixth and three more in the seventh. New Kensington also scored two runs in the seventh. Henry Ford College led 15-10 to end the game on top.
"I think the fact that we don't have as many players as everyone else means that we are working that much harder," said Freshman Jake Wilson. "Trying to just keep up with everyone else."
The week resumes on Wednesday, March 9, when the men play Lackawanna Community College with a 9:00 a.m. first pitch.
Written by Matt Heavner, PSNK Athletics Communications Intern
