BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team rallied from a 9-3 deficit to take a one-run lead before falling to visiting Drew University, 12-10, in the final game of a Landmark Conference series Monday afternoon at Gillespie Field.
The Greyhounds, now 13-13 overall and in a three-way tie for second place in the Landmark Conference at 7-5 in conference action, had 15 hits in the game with senior first baseman Charles Savite leading the squad with a 4-for-5 performance that included three RBIs. Junior second baseman Nicolas Ampietro was 2-for-4 while junior center fielder Anthony Gaetaniello and senior catcher Mike Roethke were each 2-for-5 at the plate.
Moravian used six pitchers in the game with sophomore Dan Morrin starting. Morrin allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and a walk to go with one strikeout. Senior Ian Carbone tossed 4.1 innings with four runs on seven hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts. Sophomores Bryan Schoch and Nicholas Mazzella and seniors Tommy Natale-Drown and Hunter Guard each made appearances in the game.
Drew opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the first inning but Moravian answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning as Gaetaniello led off with a double. Senior third baseman Alex Bull drew a walk with two outs before Savite ripped a two-RBI double to cut the deficit in half to 4-2 after an inning.
The Rangers scored single runs in the second and third innings while the Greyhounds scored once in the bottom of the third inning when freshman right fielder Mike Mittl led off the inning with a solo home run down the left field line, his third homer of the season. Drew added two runs in the top of the fourth and one in the sixth for a 9-3 lead.
The Hounds would score four times in the bottom half of the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 9-7. Savite doubled down the left field line with one out and scored on an RBI single by Roethke. Ampietro singled just before Rothke's RBI and freshman shortstop Evan Kulig followed with a single to load the bases. Gaetaniello then connected on a three-RBI double to left center field.
Moravian continued the rally in the bottom of the seventh with three more runs to take a 10-9 lead. Freshman left fielder Austin Markowski singled with one out and eventually scored on an RBI single off of Savite's bat. Sophomore Logan Welles came on as a pinch hitter and connected on a two-RBI double to right center field to give the Blue and Grey the lead, 10-9, for the first time in the contest.
Drew countered with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to retake the lead, and the Rangers pitching staff allowed just one hit over the final two innings.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, April 13 in a non-conference game versus Rowan University beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Gillespie Field.
