The Moravian College baseball team scored a season high 26 runs, just two shy of the school record, in a 26-5 non-conference win at Albright College Monday.
The Greyhounds did set school game records for hits with 32 and at-bats with 60, breaking records from 2009, and Moravian captured its sixth straight victory and won for the tenth time in 11 games. The Greyhounds used 18 players in the field with 15 registering a hit, and the squad batted around twice in the game.
Moravian opened the scoring with five runs in the top of the first inning. Senior outfielder Jason Huber hit an RBI ground-rule double while junior first baseman Kevin O'Keefe, pictured at right, had an RBI single. Senior designated hitter Jacob Millen had an RBI ground out that scored two runs with an error on the play while junior shortstop Dave Zubia drove in the final run of the inning with a bases loaded RBI hit by pitch in his second at-bat of the inning.
The Greyhounds scored three more runs in the top of the second for an 8-0 lead. Senior third baseman Jon Baltz had an RBI double in the inning before senior second baseman Jake Schweitzer connected on a two-RBI double.
Moravian pushed nine runs across the plate in the top of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 17-0. Schweitzer started the scoring in the inning with a two-RBI single and a third run scored on an error while freshman outfielder Joseph Connell reached on an error that scored a run. O'Keefe hit a two-RBI single while senior designated hitter Matt Kensecki connected on an RBI single in his first at-bat of the game. Junior catcher Austin Rock had an RBI single while Schweitzer finished off the scoring with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Greyhounds added five more runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 22-0 advantage. Two runs scored when freshman outfielder Harrison Fontiex reached on a fielder's choice while Rock had an RBI double. Junior third baseman Gregg Steinman, pictured at left, connected on a two-run homer, his first collegiate home run, in his first at-bat of the contest to finish the scoring in the inning.
Albright would break up the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Outfielder Nick Riegel drew an RBI bases loaded walk before outfielder Jared Ruppert scored on a balk. Designated hitter Justin Danser had an RBI single to finish off the inning.
Moravian added a run on the top half of the eighth for a 23-3 lead on an RBI single from freshman pinch hitter Joel Middleton.
The Greyhounds would score three more times in the top of the ninth on an RBI double from sophomore outfielder Rocco Del Priore and a two-RBI double by O'Keefe.
The Lions added two runs on the bottom of the ninth on an RBI infield single from pinch hitter Tyler Meckley while outfielder Matt Pannella had an RBI walk to end the scoring.
Moravian had a 32-7 advantage in hits in the game led by O'Keefe, the only Greyhound to play the entire contest, who was five-for-eight at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored. Baltz, pictured at right, was four-for-four with three runs while Huber went three-for-four with two runs. Freshman shortstop Dan Seitzinger was three-for-four with three runs for Moravian while Rock went three-for-five with two runs and two RBIs.
Schweitzer was two-for-two with five RBIs for the Greyhounds while Dave Zubia was two-for-three. Del Priore was also two-for-three with three runs while senior outfielder Mike Zubia went two-for-four with two runs. Danser was two-for-three for Albright with an RBI.
The Greyhounds also used six pitchers in the game with a set rotation that had freshman Christopher Soltys start and pick up his first collegiate win after allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out five batters in four innings of action. Freshman Benjamin Hammel tossed one inning with a strikeout while sophomore Matt Cordes had three walks and a strikeout in one inning of action.
Freshman Tim Smith gave up three runs on a hit and three walks with two strikeouts in his inning of work while freshman Anthony Perez-Florido had two strikeouts in an inning. Sophomore Thomas Fenyak gave up two runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in the final inning of the game.
Albright used seven pitchers with Brian Kurtz suffering the loss after allowing eight runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings of action.
