PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. --- The Moravian College baseball team earned its first win of the 2019 season with an 11-8 victory over Bluffton University at the Snowbird Classic in Florida.
The Greyhounds had 14 hits in the game led by a 3-for-5 game by junior right fielder Carmine Palummo that included a double and three RBIs. Senior left fielder Mike Mittl and senior pitcher/designated hitter Evan Kulig were both 3-for-6 with three RBIs with Kulig adding a double while junior second baseman Ian Csencsits was 2-for-4 with three runs. Junior catcher Ian Luberti scored three times too.
Kulig tossed the first 3.2 innings with eight runs, just three earned, on seven hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts. Senior Tyler Caraway came in to pitch 5.1 innings of scoreless relief as he allowed just two walks while striking out six batters to earn the victory.
Bluffton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning while the Hounds knotted the score in the top of the second inning when senior shortstop Joey Ferolie reached on an error and scored on an RBI double off of Palummo's bat.
The Beavers moved back in front with three runs in the home half of the second inning, and Bluffton scored twice more in the bottom of the third of a 6-1 lead.
Moravian answered with a five-run fourth inning to knot the score at 6-6. Luberti drew a one-out walk and would score on an RBI single by Mittl. Kulig followed with a two-RBI double that brought Palummo and Mittl across the plate while an error would allow Kulig to race home. Sophomore first baseman Brett Moyer finished the frame by connecting on an RBI single that brought in senior center fielder Austin Markowski with the tying run.
Bluffton scored two more times in the bottom of the fourth to move back ahead 8-6.
The Blue and Grey closed within a run in the top of the fifth inning when Csencsits led off with a single and raced home on a two-out RBI single by Palummo.
Moravian took its first lead of the contest with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh frame. Senior third baseman Tim Heard led off with a single and Csencsits followed with another single. Later in the inning, Palummo connected on an RBI sacrifice fly to score Heard with the tying run while Mittl ripped an RBI single as Csencsits raced home.
The Greyhounds would add two runs in the top of the ninth inning Csencsits was hit by a pitch to start the frame and scored on an RBI single from Mittl while Kulig drove in Luberti with an RBI single for the final run of the contest.
]Moravian is slated to return to action on Tuesday, March 5 with a pair of games at the Snowbird Classic as the Hounds place Misericordia University at 12:00 p.m. and Baldwin-Wallace University at 4:00 p.m. at North Charlotte Regional Park.
