WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Moravian College baseball team opened its 2017 Landmark Conference season with a pair of games against The Catholic University of America Sunday at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy Complex in Washington, D.C., falling 7-6 in 10 innings in the opener and 5-1 in the second game.
The Greyhounds had nine hits in the first contest with sophomore third baseman Evan Kulig going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Matt Stalter was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a homer while freshman left fielder Carmine Palummo was 2-for-5. Sophomore right fielder Mike Mittl connected on his second home run of the season in the game.
Sophomore Rhett Jacoby made the start on the mound for Moravian and allowed six runs, four earned, on 11 hits to go with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of action. Junior Bryan Schoch tossed 2.2 innings with four strikeouts while senior Ian Carbone allowed an unearned run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame in the opener with Kulig driving in a pair of runs with a two-RBI single down the right field line to score senior center fielder Anthony Gaetaniello and freshman first baseman Ian Csencsits.
Catholic answered with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead. Moravian would tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the second when Stalter connected on an RBI single to plate Mittl.
The Cardinals moved back in front, 4-3, with a run in the third inning. The Hounds would retake the lead, 5-4, in the top of the sixth inning when Mittl connected on a two-RBI homer to score Kulig. Moravian extended its lead to 6-4 when Stalter hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the seventh inning.
Catholic scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings, and the Cardinals would win the game with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Hounds were limited to two hits in the second game with Mittl going 1-for-3 with an RBI while junior third baseman David Wodzsiz had a double.
Junior Dan Morrin started on the hill for the Greyhounds, allowing five runs on 10 hits to go with a pair of strikeouts in 4.1 innings of action. Junior John Wiedmayer came on to toss 1.2 innings with two strikeouts in his first action of the season.
Catholic would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the nightcap, and the Cardinals added two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead. Moravian scored on a bases loaded single by Mittl in the top of the sixth inning to chase Gaetaniello across the plate.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, March 22 in a non-conference game with Montclair State (N.J.) University that has been moved to the Maplezone Sports Institute Sports Village in Aston, Pennsylvania with a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
Photo courtesy of Catholic University Athletic Communications.
