PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. --- Junior second baseman Alex Longernecker went 7-for-10 at the plate to lead the Moravian College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Heidelberg (Ohio) University Sunday night as the squads began their trip to the Snowbird Classic at North Charlotte (Florida) Regional Park.
In the opener, the Greyhounds set a school record with 63 at-bats in the 13 innings, and the 24 hits were the most by a Moravian team since a 30-hit game at Juniata College on March 26, 2012. Seven of the Hounds' nine starters in the line-up collected multiple hits.
Longernecker was 5-for-7 at the plate with four runs, two RBIs, two triples to tie the single-game record at Moravian, and a double. Junior outfielder Justin Pilchman went 4-for-5 while junior shortstop Colin Case was 3-for-7 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
Senior outfielder Joseph Connell, junior third baseman Ryan Luke and sophomore first baseman Charles Savite were each 3-for-8 at the plate with Savite adding two RBIs. Sophomore catcher Mike Roethke also had two RBIs on a double to go with a team-high 14 putouts.
Each team scored a run in the first inning before the Greyhounds opened a 4-1 advantage with a three-run second inning. Moravian made the lead 5-1 in the top of the third inning before Heidelberg scored four times in the bottom of the third to tie the game.
The Hounds chased three runs across the plate in both the fourth and fifth innings for an 11-5 lead. Moravian would keep its lead into the eighth inning when Heidelberg closed within a run, 14-13, before tying the contest in the bottom of the ninth. The squads played three scoreless extra frames before the Hounds plated a pair of runs in the top of the 13th on RBI singles by Savite and Connell. Savite's game-winning hit came on the Greyhounds' school-record 61st at-bat of the game.
Senior closer Chris Soltys tossed the final 5 2/3 innings, his longest career outing, allowing a run on three hits and a walk to go with eight strikeouts for his first win of the season. Senior Robert Solano started on the mound for the Greyhounds with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Senior Ben Hammel tossed one inning with a strikeout while sophomore Ian Carbone pitched 2/3 of an inning.
In the second game, the Hounds pounded out another 15 hits in 45 at-bats with Connell and Luke each going 3-for-6. Connell drove in three runs while Luke had two RBIs and both players scored twice. Longernecker was 2-for-3 in the second contest with another three RBIs, two runs scored and a double. Savite scored three runs while senior shortstop Daniel Seitzinger was 2-for-2.
The Greyhounds scored early in the game with three runs in the bottom of the first and another six in the bottom of the second for a 9-0 lead. Moravian added a run in the third, three in the fourth, two in the sixth and another three in the eighth while Heidelberg scored both of its runs in the top of the fourth.
Sophomore Anthony Zaloga made his first appearance of the year on the mound and earned the victory for Moravian with two runs, just one earned, on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight batters in six innings of action. Sophomore Tommy Natale-Drown gave up a hit and recorded one strikeout in two innings of action while senior Jason Jamula allowed two walks and added a strikeout in the final inning of the game.
Moravian will return to action at the Snowbird Classic on Monday, March 3 when the squad takes on No. 25 Adrian (Mich.) College at 7:00 p.m.
