by Bryan Salvadore, Sports Information Director

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Trailing 10-6 through four bouts, Kutztown University wrestlers rattled off three straight wins, all by bonus points, to build a lead and ultimately secure a 27-13 victory over LIU Post University on Wednesday evening in the team’s home-debut at Keystone Arena.

Redshirt senior Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)) showed why he is the second-ranked wrestler in the country at 157 pounds. He led LIU Post’s T.J. Fabian 8-2 in the second period and turned a takedown into a pinfall in 4:21. He gave KU a 12-10 lead and moves to 11-2 on the year, 11-0 against Division II competition.

James Meyer (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) made the most of a spot-start at 165. He defeated Corey Ashe by a 14-4 major decision after more than 2:00 of riding time to give KU a 16-10 lead.

Joe Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton (Old Dominion)) followed at 174 for his first official competition in the Maroon and Gold. The redshirt freshman showed the poise and confidence of an upperclassman in his match, working takedowns and allowing escapes to earn an eye-opening, 28-8 win by tech. fall in 6:40.

The win gave KU a 21-10 lead and control of the match.

After dropping the match at 184, KU rallied with two victories to close the match. Seventh-ranked Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) won 4-0 at 197 and Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) pulled out a tough 7-5 win, which included a point for riding time.

Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) won his match by forfeit at 125 to open the dual meet.

Kutztown returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 19 for a road match at Seton Hill University at 2 p.m.

Final Results – Kutztown 27, LIU Post 13
WT.	Name	Score
125	Au. Petril (KU) wins by forfeit	KU 6-0
133	#3 Joe Calderone (LIU) dec. An. Petril (KU), 6-0 (3:04)	KU 6-3
141	Vinny Turano (LIU) maj. dec. T. Smith (KU), 15-2 (3:14)	LIU 7-6
149	Matt Langan (LIU) dec. J. Esposito (KU), 6-1 (1:16)	LIU 10-6
157	#2 M. Martoccio (KU) pinned T.J. Fabian (LIU), 4:21	KU 12-10
165	J. Meyer (KU) maj. dec. Corey Ashe (LIU), 14-4 (2:13)	KU 16-10
174	J. Baloni (KU) tech. fall Juan Carlos Diaz (LIU), 28-8 (6:40)	KU 21-10
184	Ronnie King (LIU) dec. C. Schildt (KU), 3-2	KU 21-13
197	#7 B. Clark (KU) dec. Jake Horton (LIU), 4-0	KU 24-13
285	R. Appleby (KU) dec. James Louison (LIU), 7-5 (1:55)	KU 27-13

 Play-by-Play Summary:

125 – Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) (KU) wins by forfeit

KU leads LIU Post, 6-0

133 – Anthony Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) (KU) vs. #3 Joe Calderone (LIU)

Calderone with takedown in first minute of first period to take 2-0 lead…Calderone goes over 2:00 of riding time and leads 2-0 after first period…Calderone defers to start second period…No points awarded in second period, Calderone leads 2-0…Petril chooses top to start third period…Calderone escapes in opening 10 seconds for 3-0 lead…Midway through third period, Calderone grabs a leg and works behind Petril for a takedown and 5-0 lead with more than 2:00 of riding time…Stalling warning on Petril with 30 seconds left…Calderon win 5-0, 6-0 after 3:04 of riding time.

KU leads 6-3.

141 – Travis Smith (Wind Gap, Pa./Nazareth) (KU) vs. Vinny Turano (LIU)

Turano takedown near edge of mat 1:00 into first period for 2-0 lead…action brought back to center of mat…Smith reversal in middle of mat to tie match at 2-2…Turano responds with reversal 20 seconds later, takes 4-2 lead after first period…Smith defers, Turano chooses bottom to start second period…Turano turns restart into reversal for 6-2 lead…Middle of mat, Turano turns Smith for four-point nearfall and 10-2 lead…Two-point nearfall gives Turano 12-2 lead…Turano goes over 1:00 of riding time…Turano leads 12-2 with 1:50 of riding time after second period…Neutral to start third period…Takedown in middle of mat for Turano for 14-2 lead…Turano  wins 14-2, 15-2 major decision after 3:14 of riding time.

LIU Post leads match, 7-6.

149 – Joe Esposito (Sewell, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep) (KU) vs. Matt Langan (LIU)

Scoreless first period…Langan chooses bottom to start second period…Langan escapes in 13 seconds for 1-0 lead…Stalling warning called on Esposito midway through second period…Langan leads 1-0 after second period…Esposito chooses bottom to start third period…Langan turns Esposito midway through period for two-point nearfall and 3-0 lead…Langan goes over 1:00 of riding time…Esposito escapes with 30 seconds left and trails 3-1…Langan takedown at buzzer for 5-1 lead, 6-1 final after 1:16 of riding time.

LIU Post leads match 10-6.

157 – #2 Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)) (KU) vs. T.J. Fabian (LIU)

Martoccio scores first off a takedown 2:00 into first period for 2-0 lead…Off restart, Martoccio turns Fabian for four-point nearfall and 6-0 lead…Fabian escapes with seven seconds left in period and trails 6-1 after first…Fabian chooses bottom to start second…Fabian escapes 35 seconds into second period and trails 6-2…Martoccio grabs two legs and scores two-point takedown for 8-2 lead, turns for pinfall in 4:21.

KU leads 12-10.

165 – James Meyer (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) (KU) vs. Corey Ashe (LIU)

Meyer takedown 30 seconds into first period for 2-0 lead…Ashe escapes 58 seconds into first period and trails 2-1…Meyer takedown at edge of mat late in first period for 4-1 lead…Ashe escapes shortly to trails 4-2…Meyer goes over 1:00 of riding time in first period…Meyer leads 4-2 after first period, escapes seconds into second for 5-2 lead…Takedown for Meyer for 7-2 lead…Ashe escapes, trails 7-3…Meyer leads 7-3 after two, chooses top to start third with 1:22 of riding time…Ashe escapes and trails 7-4…Meyer takedown with 30 seconds left for 9-4 lead…Meyer turns Ashe for nearfall points in final seconds of match…four-point nearfall awarded for 13-4, 14-4 major decision win after 2:13 of riding time.

KU leads match 16-10

174 – Joe Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton (Old Dominion)) (KU) vs. Juan Carlos Diaz (LIU)

Balboni with first takedown for 2-0 lead…Diaz escapes to trail 2-1…Balboni takedown for 4-1 lead…Diaz escapes to trail 4-2…Third takedown for Balboni in period for 6-2 lead…Balboni lets Diaz up for 6-3 lead…Takedown by Balboni for 8-3 lead and 1:30 of riding time after first…Balboni defers, Diaz chooses bottom to start second…Balboni lets Diaz up to start for 8-4 lead…Balboni grabs two legs for takedown and two-point nearfall for 12-4 lead 20 seconds into second period…Action brought back to center of mat, Balboni lets Diaz up to restart for 12-5 lead and 1:59 of riding time…Balboni takedown for 14-5 lead, lets him up for 14-6 lead with 30 seconds left in period…Balboni takedown for 16-6 lead…Balboni chooses bottom to start third…Balboni escapes for 17-6 lead…Balboni takedown and allows immediate escape for 19-7 lead…Takedown and allow escape for 21-8 lead…Final Balboni takedown with 23 seconds left for 23-8 lead, four back points awarded at edge of mat for 27-8, 28-8 tech. fall win in 6:40 with 2:25 of riding time.

KU leads match, 21-10.

184 – Collin Schildt (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin) (KU) vs. Ronnie King (LIU)

Scoreless first period, King chooses bottom to start second…King escapes 36 seconds into period for 1-0 lead…King grabs a foot at edge of mat, unable to score point…King leads 1-0 after second period…Schildt chooses bottom to start third…Schildt escapes 15 seconds into period to tie match at 1-1 with 23 seconds of riding time…King takedown with 25 seconds left in match, takes 3-1 lead…Restart with 11 seconds left, Schildt escapes to trail 3-2. King wins match 3-2.

KU leads match, 21-13.

197 – #7 Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) vs. Jake Horton

Clark scores first takedown 54 seconds into period for 2-0 lead…Clark goes over 1:00 of riding time in first period…Stalling warning on Horton, Clark leads 2-0 after first with 2:06 of riding time…Clark defers, Horton chooses neutral to start second…Clark grabs a foot, unable to score at edge of mat…Stoppage for Horton blood time…Clark leads 2-0 after two with 2:06 riding time, chooses bottom to start third…Clark escapes in 30 seconds for 3-0 lead…Clark stalling warning midway through third…Clark wins match 3-0, 4-0 after 1:44 of riding time.

KU leads match, 24-13.

285 – Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) (KU) vs. James Louison (LIU)

Appleby first takedown 28 seconds into match for 2-0 lead…Louison escapes after 44 seconds to trail 2-1…Appleby takedown with 10 seconds left in period, Louison reversal to trail 4-3 after first period…Neutral to start second…Appleby takedown at edge of mat for 6-3 lead…Louison escapes to trail 6-4…Appleby leads 6-4 after two…Louison chooses bottom to start third…Louison escapes midway through period to trail 6-5, Appleby with 1:55 of riding time…Appleby wins 6-5, 7-5 after 1:55 of riding time.

KU wins match 27-13.