DUBOIS, Pa. - New Kensington baseball fell to Penn State DuBois Thursday night at Showers Field in their first conference action of the season.

Penn State DuBois scored two runs in the first followed by an explosive six runs in the second. They would go on to score another seven times before New Kensington contributed one run in the top of the sixth for Penn State DuBois to finish with the 15-1 victory.

Freshman Lucas Springer (Stow, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls) took the mound for New Kensington throwing 1.1 innings and giving up three runs on eight hits, walking five and striking out one. AJ Collins (Penn Hills, Pa. / Penn Hills) entered the game going 1.2 innings and allowing no runs on two hits while striking out two. Eric Sonntag (Philadelphia, Pa. / Hatboro-Horsham) replaced Collins and threw two innings. He was charged with seven runs on six hits, walking one. Alex VanMeter (Fort Myers, Fla. / Dunbar) finished the game for New Kensington throwing the final inning. VanMeter allowed no runs on one hit and walked one batter.

New Kensington struggled to get across the plate through the first six innings. A series of errors and passed balls put DuBois in scoring position repeatedly, beginning in the first when a grounder brought in the first points of the game while advancing a runner to third. Also in the first, a passed ball allowed DuBois their second run of the inning.

New Kensington did get on base throughout the contest, but they totaled only two hits on the game, leaving five on base. A DuBois double in the bottom of the fifth managed to drive in three more runs to put the score at 15-0.

New Kensington got on the board in the top of the sixth when Reise Matson (Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong) reached on an error by the right fielder which drove in Mario Gomez (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. / Hasbrouck Heights) for New Kensington's only run of the game. The lead proved too great and Penn State DuBois finished on top with a 15-1 win.

"With every team, you have to take them seriously obviously," said Mario Gomez. "But just playing a clean baseball game and scoring. Scoring early runs is the best to help our pitchers pitch with the lead. That's the biggest thing."

New Kensington will face off against Penn State DuBois at home tomorrow in a doubleheader scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Written by Matt Heavner, PSNK Athletics Communications Intern