BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team swept a Landmark Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Juniata College, taking the first game 16-0, and the following it up with a 15-3 second win as the Greyhounds honored the 1960 MAC Championship team at Gillespie Field between games.
On the mound, freshman pitcher Dan Morrin pitched a full game only allowing two hits and earning the shutout with six strikeouts for his third win of the season while freshman Ryan Kahn also pitched a full game with six strikeouts which earned him his third victory of the season and the Hounds their second win of the day.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning of the opener when senior designated hitter Ryan Luke started the inning with a single to third base and would later steal second. Senior right field Matt Hanson singled up the middle advancing the runner, and Hanson would steal second to put both runners in scoring position. Junior first baseman Charles Savite singled through the right side scoring both runs. Junior third base Alex Bull doubled to right field scoring another run for the Hounds, and to cap off the inning, junior catcher Mike Roethke singled to score Bull.
The Blue & Grey added three more run in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore Anthony Gaetaniello doubled to leadoff. He went to third on a throwing error by the catcher and would be driven in on a base hit by senior Colin Case. Luke would drive one to left field advancing the runner to third, leaving second base open for him to steal. Savite earned the RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field that also put another runner in scoring position. Senior Justin Pilchman would get his first of five hits on the day with a single to extend the lead to 7-0 heading into the third inning.
Moravian would tack on eight more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hanson led off with a single and scored on an RBI base hit by Pilchman. Both Bull and Roethke hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for senior second baseman Alex Longernecker, who singled to centerfield to drive in one run. Gaetaniello singled to plate a run and keeping the bases loaded for Case, who singled up the middle scoring two runs. After a pitching change, Luke kept things moving with another hit for the Greyhounds loading the bases yet again bringing up Hanson, who connected on a double to right field scoring two runs which broke a three way tie for third in Moravian record books with 101 career RBIs. Savite grounded out to the shortstop but not before driving in another run.
The Hounds would score their final run of the game in the fifth inning, Bull started the inning by drawing a walk and would advance to third with a base hit from Roethke. Longernecker would earn the RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Greyhounds knocked out 35 hits on the afternoon, 15 in the second game with Pilchman going 3-for-3 and both Bull and Roethke going a 3-for-4 at the plate.
Moravian took another quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Hanson scored the run with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Case, who reached on a walk. Case reached 100 career runs with 103.
The Blue and Grey would put up six runs in the bottom of the second. Pilchman started the inning with a single and would be scored by Bull, who hit a homer to right centerfield for his second career home run and his first of the season. After a misplayed ball and a walk the runners would advance on a wild pitch, with the runners in scoring position Case singled to left-center for two RBIs. Case stole second and then was driven in with a triple by Luke, who would score on the next play.
Pilchman would score the only run in the third inning with his first career home run on a solo shot over the left field fence.
The Hounds would plate five runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead, 13-0. Savite led the inning off with a double, advanced to third when Pilchman singled through the left side and eventually crossed the plate on an RBI single off of Bull's bat. Roethke would add another single and RBI before advancing to third on a double to left center by Gaetaniello, Case followed him up with another double for the Blue and Grey this time to right center scored the final two runs of the inning.
The Eagles scored two runs in the top six but the Greyhounds answered back adding two more of their own when senior pinch hitter Chris Lansberry singled through the right side. Lansberry stole second base and would score on a double by Bull. An error by the shortstop advancing the runners for the final run for the Hounds. Juniata added another run in the top of the seventh but would fall, 15-3.
Moravian and Juniata will finish out their three-game Landmark Conference series on Sunday, April 19 with a nine-inning game scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. at Gillespie Field.
