Box
Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Saturday's anticipated baseball
doubleheader between Susquehanna and Moravian was altered to a
single game due to weather and fortunately for the Crusaders, a
ninth-inning rally opened the three-game conference series with a
5-4 victory.
Ethan Rieker (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.) was
the hitting star for the Crusaders (12-9, 4-2), going 2-for-3,
including a home run and a double, with three RBI and two runs
scored. Freshman Jared Musilli (Branchville, N.J./High
Point Regional) went 1-for-4 with that hit coming in the
form of the ultimate game-winning RBI in the ninth inning.
On the mound, Zach Place (Towanda, Pal/Towanda)
tossed the first 6.1 innings and gave up four runs, only two of
which were earned, on six hits while walking only one batter and
striking out three. Spencer Hotaling (Selinsgrove,
Pa./Selinsgrove) came in to toss 1.2 shutout innings and
Matt Smith (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa./Wyoming
Seminary) closed out the game with a perfect ninth to pick
up the save.
The game opened with a one-run inning for SU thanks to a Rieker
sac fly and it remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when
Moravian was able to push two runs across the plate thanks to two
RBI hits.
The Crusaders knotted the game at two-all two innings later on a
Rieker homer to left field.
Both teams then put two spots on the board with the Greyhounds
adding two in the bottom of the seventh and SU countering with two
of its own in the top half of the eighth. The first run came
courtesy of a Rieker double and the tying run scored on a wild
pitch that sent Rieker home.
The scoring continued in the ninth with what proved to be the game
winner when Musilli knocked a single through the left side
that scored Kyle Semmel to make it 5-4.
Smith came on to close out the game and retired the side in order
to clinch the 5-4 SU victory.
Tomorrow's doubleheader is slated to being at noon.
