March 1, 2024
Moravian Sweeps Gordon at RussMatt Invitational
AUBURNDALE, Fla. --- The Moravian University baseball squad rallied for a 6-5 walk-off win in the opener and took the second game 12-8 versus Gordon (Mass.) College to sweep a doubleheader in the RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park Friday.
Game 1
Game 1
Gordon (Mass.) College
0-2
5
Moravian University
4-2
6
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
|
|
1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
Moravian University
5-2
12
Gordon (Mass.) College
0-3
8
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
AUBURNDALE, Fla. --- The Moravian University baseball squad rallied for a 6-5 walk-off win in the opener and took the second game 12-8 versus Gordon (Mass.) College to sweep a doubleheader in the RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park Friday.
How It Happened – Game #1
- The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the opener
- The Hounds answered with a run in the bottom of the first frame as senior shortstop Paul Croyle drew a two-out, bases loaded walk to push graduate student first baseman Paul Hamilton across the plate
- The Blue & Grey made it a one-run game in the bottom of the second inning as senior center fielder Matt Madigan raced home on a throwing error as senior left fielder David Olsakowski stole second base
- Moravian took a 5-3 lead with three runs in the third frame. Senior designated hitter Cole Cherkas led off with a hit, and he eventually came across the plate on a balk. Junior right fielder Nick Henry raced home on an RBI groundout by senior catcher Connor Wengryn while Croyle scored on a wild pitch
- Gordon scored once in the top of the sixth and then again in the top of the seventh to knot the score at 5-5
- The Greyhounds won the game in walk-off fashion, their second walk-off of the year, in the bottom of the seventh. Cherkas led off with a single and freshman Domenic Venini came on to pinch run. After a stolen base and a balk, Venini crossed the plate with the winning run on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field by graduate student third baseman Justin Otero
- Senior Aaron Flyte made the start on the mound and tossed 5.2 innings with four runs, three earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks to go with a strikeout. Sophomore Stefano Garofalo faced one batter while sophomore Ross Huffman pitched the final 1.1 innings with a run on a hit and walk to go with a strikeout as he earned his first win of the season
How It Happened – Game #2
- The teams flipped home and away for the second game, and Moravian raced out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Olsakowski led off the contest with a single and scored on an RBI double down the right field line by Pow. Graduate student third baseman Jack Tone had an RBI bases loaded walk before Cherkas scored on an error. Madigan and Olsakowski added RBI bases loaded walks to end the inning
- The Hounds tacked on two runs on the top of the second for a 7-0 advantage. Hamilton led off with a doubled and scored on an RBI single down the left field line by Croyle. Croyle raced home on a throwing error after stealing third base
- Gordon got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second to make it 7-1
- The Blue & Grey plated three more runs in the top of the third for a 10-1 edge. Madigan reached on an error and Olsakowski was hit by a pitch before Pow connected on a three-run inside-the-park homer to right field
- The Fighting Scots made it a 10-2 game with a run in the bottom of the fourth
- Moravian added a run in the top of the sixth inning for an 11-2 advantage. Hamilton drew a leadoff walk and raced around the bases on an RBI double to center field by Cherkas
- Gordon made it a three-run game as the Fighting Scots scored six times in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Hounds' lead to 11-8
- The Hounds finished off the scoring with a run in the top of the seventh. Olsakowski drew a walk and crossed the plate with the final run on an RBI double to left center off Cherkas' bat
- Freshman Andrew Benvenuto started on the hill for Moravian and allowed a run on a hit and four walks to go with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of action. Freshman Nate McBride tossed 1.2 innings with a run on a hit and two walks while freshman Aidan Lane pitched an inning. Freshman Wes Griffith faced six batters, allowing six runs, four earned, on three walks and two hits while freshman Ryan Hoffman tossed an inning with a hit and a walk. Freshman Nick Leonard completed the game with a hit, two walks and a strikeout in his inning on the mound
Inside the Numbers
- Moravian had 13 hits between the two games with ten coming in the second contest
- Cherkas led the Hounds with four hits, two runs, two RBIs and a double
- Croyle and Pow both collected two hits with Croyle scoring three times and adding a pair of RBIs and Pow collecting four RBIs, two runs and a homer, his second of the season and fourth of his career
- Hamilton recorded three runs and a hit while Madigan had two runs, a hit and an RBI
- Olsakowski registered three runs, a hit and an RBI while freshman catcher Wyatt Harrar had one hit
- Henry and Tone both crossed the plate once with Henry collecting a hit while Wengryn and Otero each posted one RBI
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Sunday, March 3 vs. Marymount (Va.) University (DH) at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., 9:00 a.m.
- Monday, March 4 vs. Illinois College at RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., 9:45 a.m.
