Susquehanna Ends Greyhounds Conference Win Streak After 5-4 Loss
Moravian College junior pitcher Brendan Close became the winningest pitcher in school history, picking up his 17th career victory with a 1-0 win in the opening game of a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Susquehanna University on Saturday; however, the Crusaders snapped the Greyhounds' 13-game winning streak against conference opponents with a 5-4 win over Moravian in the second game.
Moravian College junior pitcher Brendan Close became the winningest pitcher in school history, picking up his 17th career victory with a 1-0 win in the opening game of a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Susquehanna University on Saturday; however, the Crusaders snapped the Greyhounds' 13-game winning streak against conference opponents with a 5-4 win over Moravian in the second game.
Close, pictured at right, tossed a five-hit shutout in the opener, his second straight shutout, and he has not allowed a run in 17 innings. Close also allowed one walk while striking out nine Crusaders. Close is now 17-3 in his Moravian career, and moved into second in the record books with his fifth career shutout, and he is second with 177 career strikeouts.
The Greyhound scored the only run of the opening game in the top of the third inning. Freshman outfielder Joseph Connell led off with a single, stole second base and eventually scored on an RBI ground ball hit by senior third baseman Jon Baltz.
Susquehanna had a 5-3 edge in hits in the opener but Connell was the only player with more than one hit, going two-for-two.
Keith Needham took the loss on the mound for the Crusaders, allowing a run on three hits with four strikeouts.
In the second game, the Greyhounds scored twice in the top of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Baltz scored the opening run on an RBI ground out by senior outfielder Mike Zubia while junior first baseman Kevin O'Keefe scored on a Susquehanna error.
The Crusaders answered with a run in the bottom of the first inning on a one-out solo home run by second baseman Justin Portzline, and Susquehanna tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI fielder's choice by Portzline.
Moravian retook the lead, 3-2, on a run in the top of the third inning when O'Keefe, pictured at left, scored on an RBI single from Zubia.
Susquehanna scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning for its first lead of the game. Designated hitter Nick Ferlise and outfielder Ethan Rieker each had RBI singles in the inning.
The Greyhounds tied the game again at 4-4 in the top half of the fifth. Connell led off with a single and stole second base. After a ground out, Connell scored on an RBI squeeze bunt by Baltz.
The Crusaders won the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning when third baseman Dan Wing doubled and outfielder Ken Kayama followed with an RBI single to score the winning run.
Susquehanna had an 8-7 edge in hits in the second Portzline going two-for-four with two runs and two RBIs. Ferlise and Rieker were also two-for-four for the Crusaders. O'Keefe led Moravian at the plate with a two-for-three performance with a pair of runs scored. Zubia had two RBIs for the Greyhounds while going one-for-three.
Freshman Robert Solano started on the mound for Moravian and allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings of action. Sophomore Tommy Fenyak fell to 1-2 on the season after giving up a run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings of work.
Brian Wendig went the distance on the hill for Susquehanna with four runs, two earned on seven hits and one strikeout.
