AUBURN, N.Y. --- The Moravian College baseball team had its 2013 season come to a close with a 5-3 loss to Neumann University in the first elimination game of the NCAA Division III Auburn NY Regional hosted by Ithaca College at Falcon Field, home of the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League.
The Greyhounds, who saw a late inning lead slip away for the second straight day in the regional, finish the 2013 season with a 24-19 record, the program's second Landmark Conference title and fourth conference championship and a second NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons.
In the bottom of the first inning for Moravian, freshman outfielder Jimmy McCarthy led off with a single but a fielder's choice and a double play ended the inning with the game still scoreless.
Neumann would get on the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning with a single run. Senior catcher Billy Pace singled with one out and scored on an RBI ground out from junior outfielder Matt Sheneman.
The Greyhounds tied the game at 1-1with a run in the bottom half of the fourth. Sophomore shortstop Colin Case was hit by a pitch with one out, and he stole second base and moved to third on a throwing error. Sophomore outfielder Matt Hanson then connected on an RBI single to score Case and tie the game.
Moravian plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Case led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hanson. Freshman first baseman Charles Savite connected on an RBI single to score Case, and after Savite stole second base, junior outfielder Joseph Connell hit an RBI single to score Savite. The RBI was the 40th of the season for Connell as he picked up his team leading 56th hit of the spring.
The Knights scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to take a 5-3 lead. Freshman pinch hitter Kelvin Ortiz reached on an error before junior pinch hitter Bobby McCormick connected on a double. Senior outfielder Will Flores connected on an RBI single to score freshman Brett Smeraglio, who had pinch run for Ortiz. Sophomore third baseman Buddy Elgin followed with a two-RBI double to move Neumann back in front. Senior first baseman Tyler Drinkard added an RBI single for the Knights.
The Greyhounds would get two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth on a walk by Connell and a single from sophomore third baseman Ryan Luke but Moravian was unable to cut into Neumann's lead.
Moravian finished the game with a 9-8 edge in hits with Savite going two-for-four. Savite also had 11 putouts in the field to finish the season with a school record 342 putouts. Elgin was two-for-four to lead the Knights at the plate.
Freshman Anthony Zaloga started on the mound for the Greyhounds and tossed 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts. Junior Ben Hammel pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and gave up two hits.
Senior Erik Klimoff was the Knights starter and allowed three runs on seven hits to go with five strikeouts in six innings of action. Senior Russ Gilliam tossed three innings to earn the victory, and he gave up just two hits while striking out four Greyhounds.
