BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College continues its look back at the 2015-16 athletic campaign with the No. 5 highlight in the Top 10 Exciting Games – the baseball team scoring five times over the final three innings for a win at nationally-ranked Kean University.

The Greyhounds, who completed the season with a 22-21 overall record and a berth in the Landmark Conference Semifinals, defeated the 11th-ranked Cougars, 9-5, on the road on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.

Tenth-year Head Coach Paul Engelhardt has worked hard to make the Greyhounds' program known on a national level. Since the start of the 2012 season, Moravian has competed in two NCAA Division III Tournaments and played a total of 17 games against nationally ranked opponents, going 9-8 in those games. The Greyhounds are 2-2 versus Kean during that stretch with the Cougars in the Top 25 each time.

"Coach E has always strived to becoming the best team in the country," stated senior third baseman Alex Bull. "Defeating a nationally ranked team is great feeling, and definitely motivated us even more to reaching that goal. When you beat a nationally ranked team, it makes you look back and appreciate all the hard work you put in during preseason and helps us realize that becoming one of the best in the country is definitely within reach."

The victory was the third straight for Moravian after a season opening loss, and the Hounds pounded out 16 hits in the contest at Kean, one of 25 games that the team posted double digits in hits on the season.

The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning but Moravian responded to tie the game in the top of the second frame. Senior designated hitter Cameron Leon was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on a single through the right side of the infield from Bull, who was in the midst of a 17-game hitting streak to start the season. Bull reached base safely in the first 42 games of the year. Senior catcher Mike Roethke drove in Leon with an RBI single up the middle.

"I remember seeing a lot of off speed pitches that game," Bull noted. "I'm mostly looking to hit a fastball, but if there's an off speed pitch over the plate, I'm probably swinging. I remember I was seeing the ball really well that game too, which definitely helped."

Kean moved back in front in the bottom of the second with a single run for a 2-1 lead.

The Greyhounds responded again with a three-run third inning to take a 4-2 advantage. After an out, freshman right fielder Mike Mittl doubled down the left field line, and he scored on an RBI single to left field by freshman left fielder Austin Markowski. After senior first baseman Charles Savite singled, Leon, who was 4-for-4 in the game, connected on an RBI single up the middle to score Markowski. Bull, who finished the game 3-for-3, followed with an RBI single through the right side to score Savite after Kean had made a pitching change.

The Cougars scored a run in the bottom of the fourth, and Kean plated another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot the score at 4-4.

"I think we just really dug deep and wanted a win," commented Bull. "We look forward to playing Kean every year and it's always a good game. After they tied it up, we all got together and agreed that we weren't getting on that bus with a loss. The motivation to beat a nationally ranked team essentially started the rally we needed to get the win."

Moravian responded for the third time in the game and took control of the scoreboard again with three runs for a 7-4 lead. Markowski, who was 2-for-5 in the game along with Savite and Mittl, reached on an error and raced home on an RBI triple to right center by Savite. Leon followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Savite with what ended up being the winning run. Bull hit a single to left field to put Leon in scoring position, and after a Kean pitching change, Roethke, who was 2-for-4 on the afternoon, ripped an RBI single through the left side as Leon dashed home.

The Greyhounds pushed their advantage to 8-4 with a run in the top of the eighth inning when freshman shortstop Evan Kulig drew a walk and scored on an infield single by Mittl that also had a throwing error on the play.

Kean scored its final run in the bottom of the eighth inning while the Hounds finished off the scoring in the top of the ninth when Leon singled to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly by Roethke.

Moravian received two strong pitching performances on the afternoon. Senior Ian Carbone started and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters in four innings of action. Senior Anthony Zaloga tossed the other five innings in relief, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits while recording two strikeouts.

You can read the original game story at http://moraviansports.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160301vds76s.

Game number four of the countdown will be released on Wednesday, July 13.