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Greyhounds Top Kean for First Victory of 2025 as Cherkas Reaches 100 Career Hits

Designated hitter Cole Cherkas connects on a pitch versus Juniata College at Gillespie Field during the 2024 season. Photo by Cosmic Fox Media / Matthew Levine '11
Designated hitter Cole Cherkas connects on a pitch versus Juniata College at Gillespie Field during the 2024 season. Photo by Cosmic Fox Media / Matthew Levine '11

UNION, N.J. --- The Moravian University baseball squad earned its first victory of the 2025 season with a 10-6 win at Kean (N.J.) in non-conference action Thursday afternoon.

How It Happened

  • Graduate student designated hitter Cole Cherkas connected on a one-out double in the top of the first inning to become the 42nd player in program history to reach 100 career hits. However, the Greyhounds would not score
  • The Hounds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Sophomore first baseman Wyatt Harrar drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly by senior left fielder Nick Henry
  • The Cougars answered with a run in the bottom of the second frame to knot the score at 1-1
  • The Blue & Grey pushed three runs across the plate in the top of the third inning to move back in front, 4-1. Freshman shortstop David Vozzo singled with one out and moved to second on a single by Cherkas before taking third on a passed ball and racing home on a wild pitch. Freshman third baseman Troy Rabosky followed with an RBI single to bring in Cherkas. Sophomore right fielder Matt Westcott connected on a single to right field as Rabosky crossed the plate on an error in the outfield on the play
  • Kean scored once in the bottom of the third inning and twice in the fourth to tie the contest again at 4-4
  • Moravian retook a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Vozzo led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, his first career homer. Rabosky and Harrar both drew walks before an RBI double down the right field line by Westcott to score Rabosky
  • The Greyhounds tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 9-4 edge. Harrar was hit by a pitch and Westcott walked before freshman catcher Ronnie Werkheiser reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to load the bases. Henry drew an RBI walk to push Harrar home, and Westcott raced across the plate on a double play. Werkheiser scored the third run of the inning on an RBI single by senior center fielder David Olsakowski.
  • The Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Greyhounds' advantage to 9-6
  • Moravian added an insurance run in the top of the ninth for a 10-6 lead. Werkheiser was hit to start the frame before Olsakowski, Vozzo and Cherkas all drew two out walks with Cherkas getting the RBI when Werkheiser crossed the plate
  • Kean loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but was unable to score 

Inside the Numbers

  • Moravian had ten hits in the game with Cherkas going 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run and two doubles, and Cherkas now has 102 career hits
  • Westcott went 2-for-3 with a run, a double and an RBI while Vozzo had two hits, two RBIs and a homer
  • Harrar scored three times and had a double while Werkheiser crossed the plate twice
  • Rabosky had one hit, a run and an RBI while Olsakowski added a hit and an RBI
  • Henry contributed a pair of RBIs
  • Junior Ross Huffman started on the mound for the Hounds, and he tossed 3.2 innings with three strikeouts. Senior Matt Snyder pitched three innings with a pair of strikeouts to earn the victory while freshman Andrew Sagrestano tossed a third of an inning. Sophomore Wes Griffith registered two strikeouts in an inning of action while sophomore Nick Leonard pitched an inning with three strikeouts 

Up Next for the Greyhounds

  • Monday, March 3 vs. Clark (Mass.) University at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., 10:15 a.m.
  • Tuesday, March 4 vs. Concordia Moorehead (Minn.) College at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla. (DH), 11:00 a.m.