JERSEY CITY, N.J. --- The Moravian College baseball team took a three-run lead in the eighth inning only to see host New Jersey City University score four runs to post a 9-8 final score over the Greyhounds Saturday afternoon in the final game of the 2018 regular season.
The Hounds had 17 hits in the game with sophomore second baseman Ian Csencsits going 4-for-6 with three RBIs, two doubles and a pair of runs. Junior left fielder Mike Mittl and sophomore right fielder Carmine Palummo were each 3-for-4 while senior first baseman Logan Welles and freshman shortstop Michael Miceli were both 2-for-5.
The Blue and Grey sent six pitchers to the mound to get the staff some work with the only game of the week. Seniors Dan Morrin and Nicholas Mazzella each tossed two innings with Morrin striking out four batters and Mazzella recording three strikeouts while juniors Evan Kulig, Tyler Caraway and Brendon Caraway each tossed an inning with Brendon Caraway recording three strikeouts and Kulig and Tyler Caraway each striking out one batter. Sophomore Connor Morro tossed the final 1.2 innings with three strikeouts.
The Gothic Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Moravian answered with a run in the top of the sixth frame. Junior center fielder Austin Markowski drew a walk to start the inning, and he crossed the plate on an RBI pinch hit by senior Ezra Rawdon.
The Greyhounds twice in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at 3-3. Palummo singled with one out and scored on an RBI double by Csencsits. Mittl would tie the game with an RBI single up the middle to score Csencsits.
NJCU answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to move back in front, 5-3.
Moravian scored five times in the top of the eighth frame to move ahead 8-5. Junior catcher Steve Lazicki led off with a single and junior Tim Heard came onto pinch run. After an error allowed senior third baseman David Wodzisz to reach base and a single by Miceli, Csencsits connected on a two-RBI double to score Heard and Wodzisz. Markowski followed with another two-RBI double as Miceli and Csencsits raced across the plate. Mittl finished off the inning with an RBI single that plated Markowski.
The Gothic Knights added a run in the bottom of the eighth and then scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to finish off the game.
The Greyhounds did find out later Saturday that the squad has received the fourth and final seed in the 2018 Landmark Conference Tournament thanks to a pair of walk-off wins by The University of Scranton over Susquehanna University. Moravian will play top seed The Catholic University of America in the opening game of the tournament being hosted by Scranton on Friday, May 11 with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.