PUNTA GORDA, FL – The Moravian College baseball team fell to nationally-ranked #12 Heidelberg University, 4-2, Friday afternoon in the Snowbird Classic. Sophomore pitcher Thomas Mariano pitched 6.2 innings while striking out four and only allowing two runs.
Mariano would start the contest for Moravian by sitting down The Student Princes in order in the top of the first.
Sophomore outfielder Joseph Connell would start the bottom of the first with a lead-off double for the Greyhounds. Classmate second baseman Daniel Seitzinger followed with an infield single while moving Connell to third base. Senior shortstop Dave Zubia then drove him in while grounding out to third to put Moravian up 1-0 after the first.
Mariano would pitch another perfect inning in the top of the second by forcing two ground outs, and a fly out. He then gave up his first hit in the third to senior outfielder Ross Pruitt on a single up the middle, but Mariano would get out of the inning unscathed off of two ground outs and a fly out.
Heidelberg's freshman starting pitcher Ryan Minteer would give up a lead-off single to Connell in the third, but get of the inning without letting a run cross the plate.
Mariano would give up a walk in the fourth, but would finish off the inning with a strike out keeping the score a 1-0, Moravian.
Freshman first baseman Steve Morse started the top of the fifth with a lead-off double for The Student Princes. Classmate third baseman Steven Kisan would knock a RBI double to center to tie the game at one. Mariano would get a strike out and a pop up. Freshman outfielder Justin Pilchman would throw out Kisan at the plate from left field for the final out of the inning.
Zubia would draw a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth for Moravian. Senior first baseman Kevin O'Keefe then got hit by a pitch. Classmate designated hitter Austin Rock would get a RBI single right up the middle to put the Greyhounds up 2-1 going into the seventh.
Kisan would get a two-out triple for Heidelberg in the top of the seventh, and Pruitt would drive him home with a single up the middle to knot the contest at two. Freshman pitcher Chris Lansberry would come in to get the final out of the inning to keep the score tied at two.
Freshman Eric Monroe, who pinch-hit for the designated hitter, singled to right to start the top of the ninth for The Student Princes. Monroe would get to third after a balk and a sacrifice bunt. Kisan would bring him home with a RBI single to right field to put Heidelberg up 3-2. The Student Princes would put one more run on the board as Moravian found itself down 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Senior pitcher Daniel Brannum would come in for the save for Heidelberg, and he would get the first batter swinging. Sophomore outfielder Harrison Fonteix and sophomore catcher Matthew Gutkes would reach on singles while freshman third baseman Ryan Luke reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Brannum would get Pilchman to strike out swinging for the second out of the inning. He would then get Connell to pop up to the shortstop for the final out of the inning as Heidelberg would go onto win 4-2.
Connell led the Greyhounds with two hits while scoring one run. Rock went 1-for-4 with one RBI while Zubia had one run scored and one RBI. Lansberry picked up the loss after pitching two innings and giving up two runs.
Minteer started the game for The Student Princes, going 5.2 innings while giving up two runs. Junior pitcher Teddy Lowe earned the victory going 2.1 innings without allowing a run while Brannum earned the save.
Kisan led Heidelberg with two RBIs and two runs scored while going 3-for-4 from the plate. Pruitt went 3-for-4 with one RBI while sophomore shortstop Andrew Zenczak went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
