ASTON, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team, ranked No. 21 in the nation, earned their first win as a nationally-ranked squad with a 13-8 non-conference win at Neumann University Tuesday afternoon.
The Greyhounds improved to 27-7 on the year, and the squad reached double figures in runs scored for the 11th time this season and Moravian is 11-0 in those contests.
For the seventh consecutive game and the 20th time this season, the Greyhounds scored in the first inning, taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first Tuesday at Neumann. The Hounds loaded the bases before sophomore first baseman Charles Savite hit an RBI ground out to open the scoring. Junior third baseman Ryan Luke and senior center fielder Joseph Connell both put down RBI bunt singles before sophomore catcher Mike Roethke hit an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Knights scored three times in the bottom of the third inning to pull within a run, 4-3, and Neumann scored three more runs in home half of the fourth to move in front, 6-4.
Moravian answered back with two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 6-6. Savite pulled the Greyhounds within a run on an RBI double, and he scored the tying run on an RBI sacrifice fly from Connell.
The Hounds moved back into the lead, 9-6, with three runs in the top of the sixth. Junior right fielder Matt Hanson gave Moravian the lead with an RBI single, and Luke drove in a run with an RBI sacrifice fly. Connell followed with an RBI triple to finish off the inning.
The Knights closed the score to a run, 9-8, with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the sixth.
Moravian pushed three runs across the plate in the top of the eighth to extend the lead back to four runs, 12-8. Hanson scored with two outs on an error by Neumann while Roethke added an RBI single that had another error in the outfield to allow the third run of the inning to score.
The Greyhounds finished off the scoring in the ninth with an RBI single by Hanson.
Moravian had a 15-13 edge in hits in the game with Gaetaniello going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Since being inserted into the leadoff position in the batting order last week, Gaetaniello is 20-for-30 with 15 runs, four doubles, a triple, six walks and six RBIs in seven games. Connell went 3-for-5 with three RBIs Tuesday while Hanson was 2-for-3 with four runs scored to become the seventh player in school history to score over 100 runs in a career and a pair of RBIs. Savite was 2-for-4 while Luke went 2-for-5.
Sophomore Hunter Guard picked up the win on the mound for the Hounds after tossing 2.2 innings of relief to improve to 2-0 on the season. Guard allowed two runs on five hits and a walk to go with one strikeout. Sophomore Ian Carbone earned his first career save with a hit and four strikeouts over the last 2.1 innings. Sophomore Anthony Zaloga started for Moravian and tossed four innings with six runs, only three earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks to go with three strikeouts.
The Hounds are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, April 23 in a non-conference contest at Alvernia University beginning at 4:00 p.m.
