BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3, walk-off win in the second game of a Landmark Conference doubleheader Sunday versus Susquehanna University at Gillespie Field after falling 6-0 in extra innings to the River Hawks in the opening contest.
The first game was a pitcher's dual through the regulation seven innings before Susquehanna scored six times in the top of the eighth inning. Junior Ryan Kahn made the start on the mound for the Hounds, who are now 10-14 overall and 5-5 in Landmark Conference action, and Kahn allowed three runs on nine hits and three walks to go with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings of action as he moved into ninth in school history with 118 career strikeouts. Junior Bryan Schoch tossed the final third of an inning with one strikeout and three runs on three hits.
Moravian was limited to six hits in the opener with junior first baseman Joey Maker going 2-for-3.
The Greyhounds also had six hits in the second contest with sophomore shortstop Matt Stalter posting a 2-for-3 game while sophomore third baseman/pitcher Evan Kulig added two RBIs and a double. Senior center fielder Anthony Gaetaniello and sophomore right fielder Austin Markowski each added RBIs in the victory.
Sophomore Rhett Jacoby started on the bump for Moravian in game two and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts in five-plus innings of action. Kulig came on to toss the final two innings and earn his first collegiate win with one hit, one walk and one strikeout while facing eight batters.
The River Hawks scored once in the second inning and twice in the top of the sixth frame to build a 3-0 lead. Moravian answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with its first two runs of the day. Gaetaniello led off with a walk and freshman left fielder Carmine Palummo followed with a single to right field. After an out, Kulig ripped a two-RBI double down the left field line to score Gaetaniello and Palummo.
Kulig would set the River Hawks down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh with a double play by the Hounds defense to bring the Blue and Grey back to the plate. Stalter led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, and sophomore Mike Mittl came on with an infield single as a pinch hitter. Sophomore pinch hitter Andrew Koenig drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Gaetaniello tied the game with an RBI single to center field as Stalter raced home. After the first out of the inning, Markowski lifted a sacrifice fly to the fence in left field to allow Mittl to score the winning run.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, April 11 in a non-conference game at Misericordia University beginning at 4:00 p.m.
