LA PLUME, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team dropped an 11-9 back-and-forth decision at Keystone College in non-conference action Tuesday.
The Greyhounds had 15 hits in the game but would strand 12 runners on base including seven in scoring position. Senior shortstop Colin Case was 3-for-4 in the game while senior third baseman Ryan Luke was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Senior left fielder Justin Pilchman and junior second baseman Alex Bull were each 2-for-4 with Pilchman driving in three runs while junior first baseman Charles Savite was 2-for-5.
Moravian jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Case led off the game with a triple to right center field, the seventh triple of his career, and Pilchman followed with an RBI double to center field. Savite ripped an RBI single to left field to score Pilchman while senior right fielder Matt Hanson, who had walked, cross the plate on an RBI ground out by junior catcher Mike Roethke.
Keystone answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first inning, and the Giants would take a 7-3 lead with a five-run second inning.
The Hounds pulled within a run in the top of the third with another three tallies. Savite and Luke hit back-to-back singles to start the frame, and Roethke walked to load the bases. Bull would drive in Savite with an RBI single to left centerfield and sophomore center fielder Anthony Gaetaniello hit an RBI fielder's choice as Luke scored. Roethke scored the final run of the inning on a bases loaded RBI walk by Pilchman.
Moravian tied the game at 7-7 with a run in the top of the fourth inning when Luke singled up the middle with one out and eventually scored on an error, and the Blue & Grey moved back in front, 8-7, with a tally in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to center by Pilchman that scored freshman pinch hitter Joey Maker, who had led off the inning with a single.
The Giants pulled back to a tie at 8-8 with a run in the home half of the fifth inning, but it wouldn't take long for the Greyhounds to move back in front with a run in the top of the sixth. Luke singled to begin the inning and scampered across the plate on a wild pitch for his third run of the afternoon.
Keystone finished off the scoring with a three-run seventh inning.
Moravian used three pitchers in the game with sophomore Nicolas Ampietro getting the start and allowing seven unearned runs in 2.1 innings as the Greyhounds committed six errors in the game. Junior Tommy Natale-Drown was the tough luck loser with four unearned runs and a strikeout in 4.1 innings of action. Junior Brett Wagner tossed the final 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, April 15 when the squad hosts DeSales University in a non-conference game at Gillespie Field in Bethlehem with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
