Price Sets All-Time HR Mark; Susquehanna Splits With Scranton, 9-7, 3-11

SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- The Susquehanna University baseball team split a pair of games in Landmark Conference action against the visitors from The University of Scranton, 9-7, 3-11, at Harold Bollinger Field on April 2.

Susquehanna (9-10, 2-3 Landmark) trailed Game 1, 3-0, entering the bottom of the first inning but scored three of its own in the bottom half to tie the game. SU added another run in the second to take its first lead, 4-3.

Scranton (11-12, 4-1 Landmark) answered back with two runs in the third to regain the advantage, 5-4, before SU scored two in its half of the inning. Scranton tied the game again at 6 in the fourth, but another two-run frame by the Crusaders gave them the edge, 8-6.

Senior infielder/catcher Chris Price (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Glades) batted 2-for-3 in the first game with two runs scored, two runs batted in, a double and a homerun. Price now sits atop the career homeruns list at SU with 19. Bill Hart '78 notched 18 homeruns during his career from 1975 from 1978.

Crusaders junior Keith Needham (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) threw five strong innings, giving up six hits and striking out five batters to earn his second win of the year. Needham walked three in the game, two coming in the first inning that led to the Royals three-run rally.

SU's senior catcher Don Kirkland (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) went 3-for-4 in Game 1 with three runs scored, two RBI and a double. Teammate and junior infielder Geoff Hunter (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) had a 2-for-4 first game with a triple. Hunter also scored once and drove in another.

Freshman outfielder Ken Kayama [Koto-Ku, Japan/Solebury (Pa.)] and junior infielder Erik Tuomisto (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy) each went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Kayama scored a run, while Tuomisto brought two runners home.

Freshman infielder Nick Ferlise (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) recorded a hit in two at bats with a walk. Ferlise also scored once and had an RBI.

The final two innings of Game 1 were locked down by sophomore Jordan Thomas (Westminster, Md./Westminster HS) and senior Ben Leonard (Johnstown, Pa./Shade). Thomas tossed a hitless sixth inning with one strikeout, and Leonard picked up his third save of the season, striking out two in the seventh.

In Game 2, Susquehanna fell behind again, 3-0, after the top half of the first inning, but could only get to within one run after a two-run third. Scranton tacked on eight more runs between the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.

Kayama, Kirkland and Price each swiped a bag and registered a hit in Game 2. Kayama also scored a run and drove in another in four at bats. Kirkland went to the plate three times, while Price had an RBI and a walk in two official at bats.

Sophomore infielder Ethan Rieker (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.) scored a run and was hit by a pitch in two at bats. Rieker also tripled in the seventh inning. Junior Calvin Hug (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) only had one at bat but stole a base, scored a run and was hit by a pitch.

Suffering the loss in Game 2, junior Andy Hergan (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) struck out six batters and walked none over 4 2/3 innings of action. Hergan gave up 10 hits, and all seven of his runs against were earned.

Three other Crusaders hurlers saw action in Game 2. Senior Jeff Kirch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and freshman Nick Torkildsen (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley HS) each threw two-thirds of an inning. Kirch gave up three hits and three runs, while Torkildsen allowed one run on three hits and struck out a batter. Freshman Tyler Della Badia (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) tossed the final inning and gave up one hit.

Next Game: Saturday, April 3, vs. Scranton (Landmark Conference game), 12 p.m.

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