KUTZTOWN –
Ryan Paige hit a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the eighth in game one and
Taylor Hillson drove in the eventual game-winning RBI in the seventh in game two to sweep Kutztown on the road Friday.
Mansfield won the opener 9-8 in extra innings before completing the sweep with a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
Paige drew a two-out walk in the top of the first before scoring from first on a
Tanner Klein RBI double.
Scott Rockwell's RBI single in the second plated
Colby Schearer and gave Mansfield (18-20, 7-11 PSAC East) a 2-0 lead.
Kutztown (13-24, 3-15 PSAC East) equalized in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs.
The Mountaineers quickly regained the lead when in the third
Eric Harms plated a run with single into left field before
Scott Rockwell drew a bases loaded walk. Hillson made it a 5-2 lead for Mansfield with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Golden Bears answered back again with three more runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game. Kutztown took its first lead of the game with a run in the fifth.
Mansfield would not trail for long as
Peter Pena tied the score with an RBI single down the line before a
Dio Infante double plated two more to make it 8-6 Mounties.
Kutztown got runs back in the sixth and seventh inning to tie the game and force extra innings.
In the top of the eighth,
Ryan Paige drilled a one-out solo home run to put the Mounties ahead for the final time. The Bears threatened with a runner on third in the bottom of the inning, but relief pitcher
Tyler Guidos struck out the final batter to earn the win.
Guidos picked up his fourth win of the year in 3.0 innings of relief work. Ryan Clow took the loss.
In game two, Infante pushed across the first run of the game in the fourth inning with an RBI single to score Klein.
Alec O'Dell evened the score with a solo homer in the same inning.
In the top of the seventh, Schearer reached on a fielder's choice then stole second and moved over to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Hillson put the Mounties ahead with an RBI poke into right field.
Kutztown got a runner on second, but
Evan McAndrew struck out the last batter to seal the complete game victory. McAndrew allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters.
Mansfield hosts Kutztown at Shaute Field on Saturday.