BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team fell to visiting Susquehanna University, 12-7, in the opening game of a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Gillespie Field Saturday afternoon before the Greyhounds rebounded to post an 8-2 victory in the second game on Senior Day.
"I thought the guys battled hard in the first game, and you need that fight," stated Head Coach Paul Engelhardt. "They continued that fight in the second game, and we got a great effort from (Ryan) Kahn on the mound."
The Greyhounds,14-16 overall and 8-6 in Landmark Conference action, had eight hits in the opening game with junior center fielder Anthony Gaetaniello going 2-for-5 while senior designated hitter Cameron Leon added two RBIs.
Moravian used four pitchers in the game with freshman Rhett Jacoby getting the start and striking out four batters in 3.1 innings. Senior Ian Carbone tossed 2.2 innings with one strikeout while sophomore Bryan Schoch had one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Sophomore Nicholas Mazzella also saw action on the mound for the Hounds.
Susquehanna scored three times in the first inning and once in the third to build a 4-0 lead. Moravian tied the game with a four-run third inning with RBI singles by seniors third baseman Alex Bull, first baseman Charles Savite and catcher Mike Roethke and an error.
The Crusaders pulled back ahead with a four-run fourth inning but the Greyhounds answered with three runs in the home half of the fourth to get back to a one-run game. Moravian's first run of the frame came on an error before Leon connected on a two-RBI single. Susquehanna added a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to finish the scoring in the opener.
Moravian knocked out 13 hits in the second game with Gaetaniello turning in a 3-for-4 performance that included two RBIs. Freshman shortstop Evan Kulig and junior second baseman Nicolas Ampietro were both 2-for-3 while Bull had a 2-for-4 game.
Sophomore Ryan Kahn went the distance on the mound for the Blue and Grey in the second game with two runs, one earned, on five hits and no walks to go along with six strikeouts.
The Hounds gave Kahn all the offense he needed with a three-run second inning. Roethke drove in the first run with an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Savite, who had led off with a single. Ampietro followed with an RBI single that scored Kulig before Gaetaniello ripped an RBI triple.
Susquehanna chased a run home in the top of the fourth and Moravian answered in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double off of Gaetaniello's bat after an infield single by Ampietro. The Greyhounds scored twice in the fifth on an RBI single from Kulig and an error, and Moravian tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Gaetaniello hit his second triple of the game and scored on an error. Freshman outfielder Mike Mittl scored Moravian's final run on a wild pitch. Susquehanna would get one run in the top of the seventh before Kahn closed the door with three outs including his sixth strikeout of the game and third looking.
The two squads will play the final game of the Landmark Conference series on Sunday, April 17 with first pitch slated for 7:00 p.m. at Gillespie Field in Bethlehem.
