PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – The Moravian College baseball team swept Muskingum University on Friday afternoon in a doubleheader at the Snowbird Classic. The Greyhounds took the first game of the day by a score of 5-1, and they rallied to win the second game by a score of 6-4.
In game one, junior pitcher Thomas Mariano would get the start for the Greyhounds. Junior second baseman Will Simpson started the game with a single. He then stole second base before getting drove him with a single to center field by junior outfielder T.J. Howsare for the 1-0 lead.
Junior pitcher Colten Maxwell got the nod for the Muskies to start the game. After getting the first out, he walked junior second baseman Daniel Seitzinger and then allowed a single to sophomore outfielder Matt Hanson. Both then advanced up one pass and a throwing error by the catcher. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Luke drove Seitzinger home with a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at one.
Seitzinger started the bottom of the third with a single up the middle and Hanson followed with a walk. Freshman first baseman Charles Savite then drove a single up the middle to score Seitzinger for the 2-1 lead. Freshman designated hitter Alex Bull added a single down the left field line to score Hanson. An error by the shortstop allowed two more runs to score for the Greyhounds while putting Moravian up 5-1.
Junior pitcher Chris Soltys would come in to finish the game out in the top of the seventh with the Greyhounds 5-1 lead still intact. He allowed one hit while striking out one batter to give Moravian a 5-1 victory.
Mariano went six innings while striking out four and allowing one run. Savite went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored while Seitzinger had two runs scored off of one hit. Bull went 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run while Hanson went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Sophomore shortstop Colin Case and junior outfielder Harrison Fonteix each had a hit and a stolen base in the game.
Maxwell took the loss for Muskingum after giving up five runs in six innings of work. Simpson went 2-for-4 with a run scored while Howsare went 1-for-3 with a RBI for the Fighting Muskies.
In game two, freshman pitcher Dylan Davy would get the start for Muskingum. Davy recorded a 1-2-3 inning off of a fly out and two ground outs.
Junior pitcher Robert Solano would get the nod for the Greyhounds in the second game. The Fighting Muskies loaded the bases with zero outs, but only walked away with one run after a sacrifice fly by junior Zach Siemon scored senior outfielder Darren Garrett for the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom the second the Muskies tacked on two runs for the 3-0 lead. Junior catcher Matt Connor started the inning with a single. After a strikeout, junior outfielder Michael Lynn singled and both runners advanced a base after an error by the third baseman. Connor then scored on a wild pitch, and Simpson added a single up the middle to score Lynn.
The Fighting Muskies tacked on more run in the bottom of the third off of two hits for the 4-0 lead.
Hanson started the top of the fourth with a lead-off triple down the right field line. Luke then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Hanson to make the score 4-1.
Junior outfielder Joseph Connell and Savite started the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles. Both runners then moved up on a wild pitch. Freshman designated hitter Jimmy McCarthy drove both runners home with a double down the left field line. Freshman catcher Mike Roethke was then hit by a pitch, and sophomore outfielder Justin Pilchman would come into pinch run for Roethke. Both runners were sacrifice bunted over to put men on third on second with one out. Sophomore shortstop Alex Longernecker hit a single through the right side to score McCarthy and Pilchman to take the Greyhounds first lead of the game. A fielder's choice by Hanson allowed Longernecker to score and put Moravian up 6-4 after the top of the seventh.
Sophomore pitcher Chris Lansberry finished out the game for the Greyhounds, going 4.1 innings while not allowing a hit and striking out three.
Longernecker had the clutch hit in the seventh inning that netted him a run and two RBIs while McCarthy went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Savite had two hits and a run while Pilchman scored a run. Connell added a hit and a run while Hanson had a triple, a RBI, a run and a stolen base. Roethke added one hit.
Senior pitcher Pat Johnson took the loss for the Muskies after allowing two runs while not getting one out. Davy, the starter, went six innings allowing three runs while striking out four.
Simpson went 2-for-3 with a RBI for Muskingum while freshman first baseman Brett Robberts went 2-for-4. Siemon went 1-for-1 with two walks, a RBI and arun while Lynn went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.
Moravian returns to the field on Tuesday, March 12th as they travel to rival Muhlenberg College in the Matte Award Game. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
