By Mike Henken, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna baseball team dropped two of three games against Landmark Conference rival Moravian this past weekend in Bethlehem, Pa.
Playing a double header against the Greyhounds on Saturday, March 30, the River Hawks came out on top 5–3 in the first game but lost the second game 5–4.
Game one began a bit slow for both teams, as the score remained tied at zero until the fourth inning, where Susquehanna scored the first three runs of the game.
Junior outfielder Justin Miller drove in sophomore catcher Peter Yarem before junior infielder Craig Roumes added another run with an RBI single. Junior outfielder Chris Corrado also scored on an error.
Moravian quickly bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Susquehanna remained in control of the game after adding runs in both the fifth and sixth innings thanks to RBIs from senior infielder Ben Burman and junior infielder Anthony Dombrowski. The Greyhounds added one more run in the eighth inning, but they could not retake the lead.
Freshman starting pitcher Ryan Monroy gave up seven hits but only two runs through five innings of work. Junior Bobby Grigas also contributed on the mound, as he closed the game to give Susquehanna a 5–2 victory.
In game two, the River Hawks once again got on the board first thanks to two runs in the second inning. Moravian responded later with two runs in the fourth inning and eventually took the lead by adding another run in the fifth.
However, senior outfielder Nick Berger retook the lead for Susquehanna with a homerun as well as an RBI single. The Greyhounds tied the game at four in the ninth to force extra innings.
The River Hawks were shut down and Moravian was able to pull off a 5–4 victory.
On Sunday March 31, the two teams played a third game to close out the series and it ended in a tough defeat for Susquehanna, as Moravian picked up a 7–6 win in a back-and-forth 13-inning contest.
The River Hawks got off to a fast start, taking a 1–0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Burman that drove in Berger.
Moravian fought back quickly though, scoring a run in both the second and third innings to take a 2–1 lead. From that point on, the Greyhounds remained in control, as their starting pitcher would keep Susquehanna scoreless through the seventh inning.
At the start of the eighth inning, Moravian held a 3–1 lead, but the River Hawks were able to begin chipping away as Yarem added a run on an RBI single.
In the ninth, Susquehanna ended up taking a 5–3 lead following back-to-back RBI hits from Burman and Corrado. Moravian once again fought back however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to head into extra innings for the second straight game.
Susquehanna then scored in the top of the 11th to take a 6–5 lead, but that lead did not last long, as Moravian scored again in the bottom half of that inning to tie the game up.
In the bottom of the 13th inning, the Greyhounds scored on a sacrifice fly to earn a 7–6 victory and to win the series 2–1.
“My biggest takeaways from these games are that we all have to play together,” Berger said. “The offense and the defense both need to play at the same level if we want a chance to win. Also, if we don’t put teams away early, then there is always a chance that something can go wrong. It is imperative to continue building leads.”
Looking ahead, the River Hawks will take on Elizabethtown on Saturday, April 6 for a three-game set next weekend. The Blue Jays are currently 7-15 on the year and 1-5 in Landmark Conference play. While the team has lost six of their last eight, Elizabethtown comes into Selinsgrove with momentum after a 20–2 victory on the road over Albright. Junior utility player Mike Christy had six RBIs on the day.
“My hopes are that we continue to play good baseball,” Berger added. “We were unlucky on the road this weekend and I believe that if we continue to play with urgency and have some fun that we will be a tough team to beat.”