READING, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team dropped a hard fought 12-11 game to Kutztown in the Baseballtown Diamond Classic at First Energy Stadium on Monday night to conclude the 2018 regular season.
 
The Lions will finish the regular season with an 11-22 record overall, while the Division II Golden Bears record now moves to 19-17 overall.
 
Albright got off to a hot start in the first inning as they jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on two hits. With one out, sophomore Jimmy Gentry was hit by a pitch which led to junior Jeff Yordy roping a double to left center to put runners on second and third. A walk loaded the bases and set the stage for junior Joe Suppa to hit a two-run double to make it 2-0. Senior Tanner Brescancine brought the third run home on a sacrifice fly before Suppa came around to score on a wild pitch for the fourth run. The Golden Bears then wasted no time in tying the game at four in the bottom of the first as they sent all nine batters to the plate. Kutztown scored all four of its runs before recording an out on three hits. Following a scoreless second inning, the Lions were unable to take advantage of back to back walks with two outs in the top of the third. Kutztown would take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third with four runs on just one hit and one error. Two of the runs came on a bases loaded walk and a bases loaded hit by pitch. The Lions then had a big inning of their own in the top of the fourth as they scored six runs on five hits to take back the lead at 10-8. Junior Austin Roth and sophomore Logan Adams led off the inning with singles, and Roth would come home two batters later on a RBI groundout. Senior Noah Beebe made it a two run game with a RBI single in the next at-bat before a single and a pair of walks would drive him in to make it 8-7. Senior Tyler Keller then gave the Lions the lead back at 9-8 on a two-run single up the middle. The Lions would get their final run on a throwing error by the Golden Bear catcher on a double steal attempt.
 
Beebe then put the Lions up 11-8 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly before the Golden Bears put together a bottom of the fifth that would give them the lead for good. Kutztown scored four runs on four hits to take a 12-11 lead. The three of the four runs came on RBI singles, including the go-ahead one with two outs, and the other run came on a sacrifice fly. Albright had nine straight batters retired before a two-out walk from junior Kyle Gantert ended that stretch in the top of the eighth. Junior Jesse Fikslin gave the Lions some hope in the top of the ninth by reaching first on a fielding error by the Golden Bear third baseman, but the next three Lions were retired to end the game.
 
Suppa led the Lions from the plate by going 2-of-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Adams also tallied two hits and scored two runs, while Beebe tallied two RBIs and two runs scored. Senior pitcher Zach Massari started the game and gave up eight runs (six earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 2.1 innings. Freshman pitcher Kyle Smith relieved Massari and suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs on three hits in two innings. Freshman Ryan Kalinich and junior Daron Pijanowski each posted scoreless relief performances in the contest. Kutztown pitcher Garrett Alread grabbed the win in relief as he allowed one earned run on one hit in an inning of work. Zach Peters registered a four inning save after not allowing a hit, while striking out four.