BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College baseball team defeated Elizabethtown College, 11-3, Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference game. Senior outfielder Austin Rock picked up his 100th career hit after going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Chris Lansberry would start the first with three straight ground outs to the shortstop.
Senior shortstop Dave Zubia would start the bottom of the first with a lead-off double to right field. Sophomore second baseman Daniel Seitzinger followed him with a single up the middle to score Zubia. Senior first baseman Kevin O'Keefe and sophomore designated hitter Matthew Gutkes would draw back-to-back walks. Rock then grounded into a fielder's choice to score Seitzinger. Freshman outfielder Matt Hanson followed with a single through the right side to score one more run for a 3-0 lead after the first.
Hanson would start the bottom of the third with a lead-off single up the middle. He would work his way to third after a stolen base and a passed ball. Senior catcher Blake Shortall would drive him home with a single through the left side for a 4-0 lead.
O'Keefe started the bottom of the fourth with a walk and a stolen base. Rock then hit a single through the middle to put men on the corners. Hanson would then reach after an error by the shortstop that would score O'Keefe. Shortall then drove a ball to center field to score Rock on the play for a 6-0 lead.
The Blue Jays would get there first hit of the game in the fifth inning after junior outfielder Kevin Berkheiser singled up the middle, but that's all Elizabethtown would get in the inning.
Zubia started the fourth after getting hit by a pitch. He then worked his way to third after a stolen base and a balk by the pitcher. Freshman second baseman Colin Case followed with a double down the left field line to score Zubia. O'Keefe then hit a single through the ride side to score Case. Gutkes followed with a single through the left side. Rock would get his 100th career hit with a single through the left side to score O'Keefe. Hanson then hit a single to center field to load the bases. Shortall would hit a sacrifice fly to score Gutkes to put Moravian up 10-0 after five innings.
The Blue Jays would add three runs and the Greyhounds added one run in the late going as Moravian would go onto win 11-3.
Lansberry would earn his fourth win of the year, but the Greyhounds would use a committee of pitchers, with no one working more than two innings, to lock down the victory. Hanson went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base while Zubia went 2-for-2 with two runs and a stolen base. Shortall had three RBIs with two hits while O'Keefe had three runs and two stolen bases. Gutkes and Seitzinger both went 1-for-3 with a run while Case had a double, a single, a run and a RBI.
Sophomore Ian Smith led Elizabethtown with two RBIs and a hit. Freshman outfielder Alex Holbert went 1-for-2 with a RBI while freshman catcher Frank Canuso had a hit and scored a run.
Moravian returns to action tomorrow, April 4th as they take on Haverford College in a non-conference game. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Gillispie Field.
