SCRANTON, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team split a Landmark Conference doubleheader at the University of Scranton on Saturday with the Royals taking the opener, 8-7, and the Greyhounds winning the night cap, 5-2, Saturday.
The Greyhounds, who are now 10-8 overall and 4-1 in Landmark Conference action, had 14 hits in the opener with senior third baseman Alex Bull going 4-for-4 and scoring twice. Freshman second baseman Tim Heard was 3-for-4 with two RBIs while freshman outfielder Austin Markowski was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Senior designated hitter Cameron Leon added a 2-for-4 game while senior first baseman Charles Savite drove in three runs for the Hounds.
Sophomore Dan Morrin started on the mound for Moravian and allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks to go with four strikeouts in five-plus innings of work. Senior Anthony Zaloga pitched the final inning with two runs on four hits to go with one strikeout.
The Blue and Grey jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the opener on a bases loaded, RBI sacrifice fly by Savite and an RBI single from Leon.
After the Royals tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the second, Moravian retook the lead at 3-2 when Markowski led off the top of the third inning with a solo home run to left center field, his second homer of the season. The lead was short-lived as Scranton scored once in the bottom of the third to tie the game and once in the fourth to move ahead, 4-3.
Moravian moved back in front with a two-run fifth inning after Bull hit an infield single with two outs and Savite connected on a two-run homer to right center, his first home run of the season and the third of his career.
The Royals scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning to move back ahead, 8-5. The Greyhounds loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh before a two-RBI single by Heard cut the deficit to 8-7 with two outs but Moravian stranded two runners in scoring position at the end of the game.
The Hounds would get another seven hits in the second contest with senior catcher Mike Roethke going 2-for-3 and Leon turning in a 2-for-4 game at the plate with two RBIs.
Freshman Rhett Jacoby went the distance on the mound to improve to 3-1 on the season for Moravian. He allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the second game but the Blue and Grey would tie it up at 1-1 in the top of the second. Leon led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and he raced home on an RBI double to right center by Roethke.
Scranton would retake a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. That lasted until the Greyhounds plated three runs in the top of the sixth frame. Bull drew a walk to get things started, and he scored on a one-out, two run homer to left field by Leon, his third round tripper of the season. Sophomore designated hitter Joey Maker reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning and would score on a throwing error by the Royals.
Moravian added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Markowski raced home on another error by Scranton.
The two squads will close out their three-game Landmark Conference series on Monday, March 28 in a single game beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Scranton.
