WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon, falling to King's (Pa.) The Monarchs rallied for an 8-7 win in game one and took the nightcap, 8-4.

GAME ONE:  King's (Pa.) 8, Wentworth 7
King's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when sophomore Matt Mellinger (Allentown, Pa.) singled in senior Christian Pack (Hanover Township, Pa.). Wentworth responded with three in the bottom of the inning as, with the bases loaded, junior Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to bring in junior Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) who had led off the inning reaching on an error. Senior Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) lifted a sacrifice fly, allowing sophomore Aidan French (Chicago, Ill.) to score while a sophomore Kyle Litwin (Jacksonville, Fla.) single drove in senior Andrew Elliott (Rockland, Mass.).

The Monarchs took a 4-3 lead in the top of the second inning on RBI singles from freshman Andrew Steidle (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and freshman Matt Dobeck (Whitehall, Pa.). Pack scored the third run of the inning on a wild pitch. In the home half of the inning the Leopards reclaimed the lead with their second three-run inning in a row. With one out and the bases loaded, Haberstumpf delivered a two-run single, scoring French and Swanson. A senior Ross Golebiewski (Old Lyme, Conn.) RBI single plated Elliott and gave the Black & Gold a 6-4 lead.

Wentworth maintained its 6-4 lead until the top of the sixth inning when King's scored three times with two outs to take the lead. With the bases loaded, senior Dan Harston (Pennsauken, N.J.) hit a two-run single to plate Dobeck and freshman Seth Laky (Walnutport, Pa.) and tie the score at 6-all. Pack scored the go-ahead run when Mellinger reached on an error.

The top of the seventh saw the Monarchs take an 8-6 lead as junior Jonathan Hoyt (Endicott, N.Y.) scored when Steidle reached on an error. Down to its final at bat, Wentworth pulled within a run and left the tying run on second. Golebiewski and Litwin hit back-to-back singles and each moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.). Freshman Matt Masciadrelli (Westfield, Mass.) scored Golebiewski on a sacrifice fly, however, a groundout ended the game.

Dobeck and Harston each had two hits for King's with Harston also driving in a pair of runs. Freshman Colby Toth (Bangor, Pa.) picked up the win (1-0) in relief, allowing one run on seven hits and striking out a pair in 4.2 innings. Junior Kyle Friebolin (Neffs, Pa.) earned his first save of the season, pitching one scoreless inning.

French, Golebiewski, Litwin, McManus, and Masciadrelli had two hits apiece for the Black & Gold while Haberstumpf drove in three runs. Junior Ryan Obin (Plymouth, Mass.) was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits and striking out two. Classmate Caleb Eaton (East Hampstead, N.H.) pitched 1.1 innings in relief of Obin, allowing one hit and one unearned run while striking out one.

GAME TWO:  King's (Pa.) 8, Wentworth 4
After a scoreless first inning, King's took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as Laky hit a one-out single and went to second when sophomore Paul Helman (Whitehall, Pa.) walked. Steidle delivered a single, which scored Laky and moved Helman to second. A Dobeck bunt single loaded the bases and Pack reached on a fielder's choice which allowed Helman to score on an error.

Wentworth cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third inning as Elliott and Haberstumpf drew back-to-back walks. After two outs, both players moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Junior Jack Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) walked to load the bases, however, an error allowed Elliott to score.

The Monarchs got two back in the bottom of the third when senior Sean McKee (Easton, Pa.) to score sophomore Chris Burke and McKee eventually came around to score on a Steidle sacrifice fly. An inning later, King's increased its lead to 6-1 on a two-run triple from Burke.

Wentworth came back to within three runs (6-3) in the top of the fifth inning as Elliott led off with a walk and went to third on a Haberstumpf double. Smith reached on an error which allowed Elliott to score and moved Haberstumpf to third where he scored after Golebiewski grounded into a double play.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Monarchs added a run to make it 7-3 as Steidle scored on a wild pitch with two outs. The following inning, King's made it 8-3 when Helman singled in McKee.

The Leopards scored once in the top of the seventh. Elliott hit a one-out single and went to second when Haberstumpf singled. Smith reached on a fielder's choice which forced Haberstumpf at second and moved Elliott to third where he scored on a Golebiewski single.

Freshman Shane Beyer (Phillipsburg, N.J.) picked up the win (1-0) in relief as he allowed three runs on five hits and struck out two in five innings of work. Burke was 3-for-4 with two RBI while three other players collected two hits apiece.

Senior Ben Rexford (Lancaster, N.H.) fell to 0-2 on the season as he allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and struck out five in 3.1 innings of work. Haberstumpf was 3-for-3 at the plate while Elliott was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and McManus was 2-for-3.

Wentworth (2-6) concludes its spring trip on Saturday when the Leopards play a doubleheader against Suffolk beginning at 9:30 a.m.

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