READING, Pa. --- The No. 21 Moravian College baseball team scored in the first inning for the eighth straight game and 20th time this season but the Greyhounds couldn't make the lead hold up as they fell at Alvernia University, 14-8, in non-conference regional action Wednesday.
The Greyhounds, who were playing their final scheduled road contest of the season, fall to 27-8 on the year.
Moravian took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when junior third baseman Ryan Luke connected on a two-RBI double down the right field lone to score freshman left fielder Anthony Gaetaniello and junior right fielder Matt Hanson.
The Crusaders answered with four runs in the bottom half of the first to take a 4-2 lead.
The Hounds scored a pair of runs with two outs in the top of the second to tie the game at 4-4. Senior second baseman Daniel Seitzinger started the rally with a single down the right field line before Gaetaniello singled through the left side. Junior shortstop Colin Case followed with an RBI single to right field, and Hanson tied the contest with an RBI single through the left side.
Alvernia moved back in front for good with five runs in the bottom of the third for a 9-4 advantage.
Moravian closed within three runs in the fourth on a two-RBI single from freshman first baseman Charles Savite and an RBI ground out by Luke.
The Crusaders would score twice in the bottom of the fourth and three more times in the fifth for a 14-7 lead.
The Hounds, who left a total of 11 runners on base in the game, had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh but were unable to score. Moravian would push a run across the plate in the top of the eighth on an RBI double from Savite.
The Greyhounds had 12 hits in the game with Luke going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a pair of doubles to move into second in school history for doubles in a single season, now with 16. Hanson and Seitzinger were both 2-for-3 while Case and Savite were both 2-for-5.
Moravian used four pitchers in the game with sophomore Brett Wagner taking the loss as the starter. He struck out a pair of batters in 2.1 innings. Senior Ben Hammel tossed two innigs while junior Chris Lansberry was on the mound for 2/3 of an inning. Senior closer Chris Soltys was the Greyhounds most effective pitcher on the afternoon with four strikeouts and a walk over the final three innings for his eighth appearance of more than an inning and fifth of more than three innings.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Sunday, April 27 when they host New Jersey City University in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. at Gillespie Field.
