FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sacoman Stellar in Relief as Mountes Down Kutztown in 14 Inning Marathon -- Schanzenbacher Doubles and Scores Winning Run
 
KUTZTOWN – Eric Schanzenbacher doubled to lead off the 14th inning and later scored the winning run after a single by Wes Baylor while Zach Sacoman threw eight innings of stellar relief to lead Mansfield to a remarkable 7-6 extra-innings win over Kutztown in the nightcap of a PSAC East doubleheader Monday afternoon.
 
Kutztown won the opener 5-2.
 
The extra-inning was the longest extra-innings game Mansfield has played in at least the last 30 years and snapped a seven game losing-skid by the Mountaineers.
 
Sacoman came in relief in the sixth inning and allowed just five hits over the next eight innings while striking out eight. He pitched out of three jams including one in the bottom of the 11th inning when Kutztown led off with a triple and later loaded the bases with one out.
 
In the nightcap, Kutztown jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom first inning but Mansfield rallied behind three straight singles by Zephan Kash, Ryan Paige and Dave Glueck to score three runs for a 3-2 lead.
 
Kutztown got three runs of its own in the bottom of the third to regain the lead at 5-3.
 
Mansfield closed to gap to 5-4 with a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Eric Schanzenbacher and took a 6-5 lead an inning later when Taylor Hillson drilled a two-out, bases-loaded single up the middle.
 
Mansfield was closing in on the win in the seventh but Kutztown scored the tying-run of a two-out single by Derian Sarlat to send the game into extra-innings.
 
Anthony Renz led off the Mountaineer 10th inning with a single through the gap and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dalton Lewis. Renz advanced to third on single by Owen Lukens but Mansfield couldn't plate the go-ahead run.
 
The game remained tied when Brandon Hickey led off the bottom of the 11th for Kutztown with a triple down the right field line. Mansfield intentionally walked the next batter who later advanced to second before Mansfield reliever Zach Sacoman got the next batter to pop up to first. Another intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Sacoman struck out Ben Eppley for the second out and got the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice to get out of the inning unscathed.
 
Kutztown threatened again when the Golden Bears had a runner on second with two outs in the bottom of the 13th but Sacoman struck out the next batter to end the threat.
 
In the top of the 14th, Schanzenbacker led off with double to left and scored when Wes Baylor followed with an single to right field giving Mansfield a 7-6 lead.
 
Sacoman, who had thrown 113 pitches in eight innings of sparkling relief, was relieved in the 14th by Jeremy Mapstone who retired the side in order including striking out the final batter of the day on three straight pitches.
 
Sacoman picked up his second win in three decisions while Mapstone earned his first save of the season. Schanzenbacher, Baylor, Antheny Renz and Owen Lukens each had two hits for the Mountaineers.
 
Matt Swarmer, who was equally as impressive in relief as was Sacoman, took the loss striking out 14 batters in 8.1 innings of work.
 
In the opener, Brady McNab put the Golden Bears in front with a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning. Later in the inning, Brandon Hickey's RBI single scored another run to make it 3-0 in Kutztown's favor.
 
Mansfield got a hit in each of the first two innings, but didn't push a run across until the third. Westyn Baylor had an RBI ground out to first base to score Taylor Hillson, who reach on a fielding error before Anthony Renz plated Eric Schanzenbacher with a double in the gap to right. Both runs were unearned as Kutztown recorded two errors in the inning.
 
Neither team could get much going until the bottom of the sixth when the Bear plated two more runs to take a 5-2 lead.  Ricky Gorrell and Brandon Martinez each recorded RBIs in the inning for Kutztown.
 
Paul Piromalli earned the complete game victory for Kutztown, striking out 11 with no earned runs while allowing five hits. Tommy Alexander pitched all 6.0 innings for the Mounties, giving up five earned runs on five hits with six Ks.