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BUTLER, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team jumped out to an early lead against Mercyhurst University and took an 8-1 victory in a semifinal game of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.  The win propelled KU into the PSAC Championship game.  
 
The Golden Bears (35-16) will play against West Chester University (37-10) at 4:20 p.m. in the conference championship.  KU defeated WCU, 4-2, in the second round of tournament on Thursday, and split with the Golden Rams during the regular season.   The two teams met in the 2008 PSAC Championship game as well, with KU taking the 6-2 final to win its fifth PSAC title.
 
Senior Dominick Ruscitti (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville-Newbaugh/Dominican College) (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville-Newbaugh) started on eight days rest for the Golden Bears. The PSAC East First Team selection threw 7.1 innings on the mound and held the Lakers to one run.  The right hander hurled 99 pitches and allowed five hits while striking out three to improve his record to 7-2.
 
“I felt really good on the mound today and I was just happy I could help our team get the win,” Ruscitti said.  “Our team got us a big lead early which obviously helps, but I was just focused on keeping us in the game.”
 
Ruscitti entered the tournament knowing he would be called on to pitch in KU's biggest game on the tournament.  Sitting back and watching the first three days of the tournament as KU's top starter was something different for the Washingtonville, N.Y. native.
 
“It's really tough to sit around and wait for your time to play,” Ruscitti said on the extended time off.  “It can be mentally draining sometimes to see game-after-game go by and not being put in.  Once I got on the mound though, everything else paid off and it was a great feeling to get out there today.”
 
Kutztown's offense racked up ten hits against the Lakers (38-15).  KU got on the board early and plated four runs in the second inning after the Lakers held KU scoreless Friday night.  Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) led off the inning with an infield single, and was followed by a walk and a Sean McCormick (West Chester, PA/Henderson) (West Chester, Henderson) single to left field to load the bases with no outs.
 
Freshman right fielder Travis Kreitz (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) returned to the starting lineup Saturday and tallied KU's first run with a walk to score Albaugh.  Senior Corey Buletza (St. Clair, PA/Pottsville) (St. Clair, Pa./Pottsville) hit a shot to the left side that misplayed the Mercyhurst third basemen to score McCormick and Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights), who reached base on a walk.  Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) also drove in a run in the inning.
 
Mercyhurst plated its first run with one out in the bottom of the third inning.  Jake Janeczko hit an RBI single up the middle to score Colin Loughner from second base.
 
Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) doubled down the right field line to open the fourth inning.  Kreitz sacrificed him to third two batters later, as Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) scored on a sacrifice fly from Buletza.  Buletza finished the day with a game-high three RBIs.
 
The sixth inning opened with Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) looking for his second extra-base hit of the afternoon.  The senior got ahold of an inside curveball from new Laker pitcher Matthew Jimenez and drove it deep over the right field wall for his second home run of the season.
 
“I tried to watch the new pitcher while I was on deck, and he looked a lot like the first pitcher,” Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) said.  “I took the first fastball to see how hard he could throw.  But I saw a curveball inside the next pitch and that is right where I like to hit the ball hard.”
 
Junior Brett Hauck (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) started the seventh with a single to left field.  After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) moved him over to third with an infield single.  Albaugh laid down a sacrifice bunt down the first base line the next at-bat to score Hauck from third and close out the scoring on the afternoon.
 
Hauck and Houck each had multi-hit games for the Golden Bears.
 
Junior Billy Felo (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin/Chesapeake College) (Dauphin, Pa./Dauphin) relieved Ruscitti with one out in the eighth inning.  He picked up a strikeout in the eighth inning, and retired the side in order in the ninth. 
 
“It's so easy to trust the bullpen with the way they have played this year,” Ruscitti said.  “When I do have to come out of the game, it's a great feeling to hand it over to fresh arms when they have been doing that great all year.”
 
Matthew Jimenez picked up the loss for Mercyhurst.  In five innings, the redshirt junior allowed five runs – four earned – off five hits with two strikeouts and three walks.  Ethan Santora had the only multi-hit game for the Lakers with a 2-for-3 performance. 
 
KU's rematch and against rival-West Chester is set to start at 4:20 p.m.
 
“I'm glad we got some momentum from this game moving forward, but the rivalry between us and West Chester makes this next game even bigger,” Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) said.  “It doesn't matter if you're up or down by ten, it is always a battle the whole game between us.  We know it will be a fun game.”