February 21, 2024
Moravian Rallies Late in Game Two for Sweep of FDU-Florham at Maplezone
ASTON, Pa. --- The Moravian University baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader versus FDU-Florham at the Maplezone Sports Institute Wednesday, taking the first game 10-2, and rallying from a 9-0 deficit to captured the second game, 10-9, in eight innings.
Game 1
Game 1
FDU-Florham
0-1
2
Moravian University
2-0
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 10 | 6 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
FDU-Florham
0-2
9
Moravian University
3-0
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
ASTON, Pa. --- The Moravian University baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader versus FDU-Florham at the Maplezone Sports Institute Wednesday, taking the first game 10-2, and rallying from a 9-0 deficit to captured the second game, 10-9, in eight innings.
How It Happened – Game #1
- The Devils scored the opening run of the day in the top of the second inning
- The Greyhounds countered in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of solo home runs to take a 2-1 lead. Graduate student first baseman Paul Hamilton led off with a solo homer to left center while junior right fielder Nick Henry connected on a one-out solo homer to left
- The Blue & Grey tallied five runs in the bottom of the third frame to stretch the edge to 7-1. Graduate student shortstop Jack Tone led off with a triple and scored on an RBI bases loaded walk by Hamilton. Graduate student second baseman Chris Pow raced home on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of senior designated hitter Cole Cherkas while senior left fielder David Olsakowski scored on a throwing error. Hamilton and Cherkas would both scamper across the plate on wild pitches
- FDU-Florham added a run on the top of the fourth to make it a 7-2 contest
- Moravian finished off the scoring in the opener with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Henry led off with a double, and he eventually scored along with graduate student third baseman Justin Otero on a two RBI single by Olsakowski. Senior center fielder Matt Madigan scored the final run of the game on a throwing error
- Graduate student Noah Ingalls earned the victory on the mound as he allowed a pair of runs on four hits and two strikeouts in five innings of action. Freshmen Caden Ward and Andrew Benvenuto both tossed one inning and registered two strikeouts
How It Happened – Game #2
- The Devils began the second game by scoring nine times in the top of the first inning
- The Hounds did not get onto the scoreboard until the fourth inning while Olsakowski was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Cherkas
- Moravian did not get its first hit of the game until the bottom of the fifth frame when the Greyhounds scored five times to close the gap to 9-6. Senior shortstop Paul Croyle doubled and scored on an RBI single from freshman center fielder Jared Ferguson. Olsakowski drove in Ferguson with an RBI single. Olsakowski scored on a throw as junior Ayden Dunbar stole second base, and Dunbar raced home an on RBI single from Hamilton. Henry had an RBI single to bring in Hamilton with the final run of the inning
- The Hounds scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings with the doubleheader scheduled for two seven-inning games. Sophomore first baseman Sean Superka drew a walk and scored on an RBI infield single by Croyle while Tone had a two-RBI pinch-hit double to tie the game at 9-9
- Moravian won the contest in walk-off fashion with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Ferguson led off the frame with a single to third base, and he eventually raced home on an RBI fielder's choice by Superka with the bases loaded
- The Blue & Grey used six pitchers in the game with senior David Ciaccio getting the win after striking out the side in the top of the eighth in his only inning of action. Freshman Matt Westcott made the start and tossed a third of an inning while senior Aaron Flyte had a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of action. Graduate student Ethan Weber tossed two innings with three strikeouts while freshman Antorius Cofield had a strikeout in two innings of work. Freshman Nick Leonard retired the side in the top of the seventh
Inside the Numbers
- Moravian had just 16 hits in the doubleheader while scoring 20 runs. Henry was 4-for-6 with three runs, two RBIs and a homer while Olsakowski was 3-for-8 with three runs and three RBIs
- Hamilton went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBIs and a home run while Ferguson was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and an RBI
- Croyle also had a 2-for-4 day with two runs and an RBI while Tone went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs
- Freshman catcher Wyatt Harrar had Moravian's other hit, the first of his career
- Cherkas registered a pair of RBIs while Superka scored once and drove in a run. Dunbar, Madigan, Otero and Pow all crossed the plate once
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Wednesday, February 28 vs. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.) at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, February 29 vs. Wartburg (Iowa) College at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., 2:00 p.m.
