HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – The Moravian College baseball team opened its 2013 season with a 9-3 victory over Rutgers-Camden at the Ty Cobb Classic hosted by Hampden-Sydney College. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Luke led the way after going 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs, two runs scored, a triple and a double.
Junior pitcher Robert Solano got the start on the mound for Moravian. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout in the first inning.
Junior pitcher Dashon Jones earned the start for Rutgers-Camden. He walked one guy in the first inning but didn't allow a run.
Senior first baseman Dave Prager got the first hit of the afternoon for both teams as he slapped a single up the middle in the second. Solano pitched himself out of danger to keep the score tied at zero.
In the top of the third, Solano forced a double-play ball to get him out of the inning.
Moravian would finally got in the hit column in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore outfielder Chris Lansberry hit a single. Sophomore outfielder Matt Hanson followed with another single. Junior outfielder Harrison Fonteix then came into pinch run for the injured Lansberry. Hanson and Fonteix managed to get a double steal to put both in scoring position. Junior catcher Matthew Gutkes then walked to load the bases for the Greyhounds. Freshman first baseman Charles Savite followed with a RBI walk to drive in Fonteix to score the first run of the game. Junior second baseman Daniel Seitzinger added a sacrifice fly to score Hanson for the 2-0 lead after four innings.
After a scoreless top of the fifth for Solano, Fonteix would get a two-out single for the Greyhounds. He then advanced on a wild pitch, but Jones forced a popup to get out of the inning.
Freshman shortstop Joe Sigismondi started the top of the sixth with a walk. He then made it to third base after two ground outs. Junior outfielder Adrian Gonzalez hit a home run for the Scarlet Raptors to knot the contest at two.
Junior pitcher Tommy Potts came into the game for Rutgers-Camden to pitch in the bottom of the sixth. Hanson started the sixth by getting to third base on a pitchers error. Gutkes then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Hanson. Savite then hit a double to right-center, but Potts would get the final two outs to end the inning after the Greyhounds took a 3-2 lead.
Solano started the top of the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts for Moravian before giving up a double to senior third baseman John Santilli. Solano forced a ground out for the last out of the inning to maintain the 3-2 lead.
Sophomore shortstop Colin Case was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Fonteix followed with a single up the middle. Both then advanced to third and second off an error by the second baseman. Luke then hit a double to left center to score Case and Fonteix. Hanson followed with another double to score Luke for the 6-2 lead. Hanson moved up to third on a wild pitch before Savite hit a single to score Hanson for the 7-2 lead. Seitzinger and freshman catcher Mike Roethke added back-to-back singles to load the bases with two outs. Potts struck out the next batter for the Scarlet Raptors to end the inning.
Sigismondi started the top of the eighth with a single for Rutgers-Camden. Sigismondi moved up to second on a passed ball before senior outfielder Albert Rivera hit a single to put men on the corners. Solano managed to get two outs before giving up an RBI single to Prager to put the score at 7-3, Moravian. Solano then forced the last batter of the inning to fly out.
Case started the bottom of the eighth with a single. Luke then hit a triple to score Case for the 8-3 lead. Hanson walked before a balk by freshman pitcher Anthony Ardente scored Luke for the 9-3 lead after eight innings.
Senior pitcher Matthew Cordes would come into pitch for Solano in the top of the ninth. Cordes would get two strikeouts and a ground out to give Moravian its first victory of the season.
Solano went eight innings while allowing three runs to score and striking out three to earn the win. Hanson went 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and a RBI while Savite went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Fonteix had two runs scored while going 2-for-2 while Case went 1-for-3 with two runs. Lansberry, Seitzinger and Roethke all added one hit for the Greyhounds.
Jones went five innings while allowing two runs and striking out eight for the Scarlet Raptors. Potts took the loss after allowing six runs in two innings. Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored while Sigismondi went 2-for-2 with two runs.
The Greyhounds return to the field tomorrow, February 24th as they take on Hampden-Sydney College in the Ty Cobb Classic. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
