BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team dropped its 2018 Landmark Conference opening doubleheader to No. 19 The Catholic University of America Saturday afternoon at Gillespie Field by scores of 3-2 and 12-3.
The Greyhounds had six hits in the opener with sophomore designated hitter Ian Csencsits going 2-for-3 with his first collegiate home run. Sophomore right fielder Carmine Palummo was 2-for-4.
Senior Nicholas Mazzella made the start on the mound and went the distance, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning while the Greyhounds knotted the score at 1-1 in the second inning. Junior left fielder Mike Mittl drew a walk to lead off the frame before stealing second base and scoring on an error.
Catholic retook the lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning, and the Cardinals added a run in the sixth frame for a 3-1 edge. Moravian scored in the bottom of the sixth on Csencsits' one-out homer to right field, and the Greyhounds attempted to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh but junior third baseman Evan Kulig was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on a pinch hit by senior David Wodzisz.
The Hounds had 10 hits in from nine different players in the second game with Mittl going 2-for-4.
Junior Rhett Jacoby made the start on the mound for Moravian and tossed 7.1 innings with seven runs on 14 hits to go with five strikeouts. Junior Tyler Caraway pitch two-thirds of an inning with a run on two hits while freshman Kyle Serman tossed the final inning with four runs on three hits.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Senior first baseman Joey Maker led off with a single and scored on an RBI single by junior center fielder Austin Markowski. After a single by Mittl, junior catcher Chase Rogers connected on an RBI single to score Markowski. Palummo would drive in Mittl with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Catholic took the lead with five runs in the fourth inning, and the Cardinals would add three runs in the eighth inning and four more in the ninth.
Moravian will return to action on Sunday, March 18 to close out the three-game Landmark Conference series with Catholic with first pitch slated for 12:00 p.m. at Gillespie Field.
