KUTZTOWN, Pa. - - A ninth inning run gave the Wilmington University baseball team its ninth straight win, taking a pitching duel, 2-1, at Kutztown on Tuesday afternoon on North Campus Field.
The Wildcats (24-14) used six pitchers in the contest, only allowing one run on six hits with every pitcher striking out at least one batter. The offense picked up 11 hits in the win, but could only scratch across two runs: one in the top of the second and one in the top of the ninth.
Frank Nigro started the top of the second with a double to left center before Nick Macey hit a bunt single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Now with one out, Dakota Graham drug a bunt with him down the first base line for a single, bringing in Nigro for the 1-0 lead.
Matt Danze tossed the first two innings of scoreless baseball for the Wildcats before Noah Latshaw came on and pitched scoreless third and fourth innings. After a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, Bryce Carney ran into trouble in the sixth.
Kutztown (15-17) started the sixth frame with back-to-back single to put runner son first and third. Carney buckled down and picked up a much needed 4-6-3 double play, getting two outs but allowing the tying run to score. He escaped the inning with a liner to right, ending his two-inning appearance as well.
The offense threatened in the eighth, getting a leadoff single from Christian Adorno. Max Carney moved Adorno up to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the Golden Bears induced a strike out and a fly out to leave the runner at second.
Zach Frederick pitched a perfect seventh inning before Micky Foytik came on and escaped a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth. A pop-up bunt double play erased the double and Foytik struck out the final batter of the eighth to leave it knotted at 1-1.
Nick Macey started the top of the ninth with a single to left and Nick Grant moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Matt Frost put Macey 90-feet away with a ground out to short and Kyle Fries came up big with a two-out, infield single to short to plate Macey.
Justin Mears came on and walked two batters, but induced a pop up and picked up a strike to end the game, leaving the tying and winning runs on base.
Foytik took home the win and improved to 1-0 on the year while ears earned his eighth save of the season.
Macey led the Wildcats by going 3-for-4 with a run scored while Frank Nigro batted 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Wednesday scheduled doubleheader against Jefferson has been pushed back 24 hours to Thursday at Wilson Field. The first pitch of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.