Box Score

FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Sophomore Casey Hood (Shrewsbury, Pa. / Susquehannock) had a tremendous outing on the mound on Saturday afternoon as Susquehanna baseball upset No. 13 Keystone 4-1.

Hood went 8 2/3 innings allowing only four hits while striking out a career-high nine Giants and allowing one unearned run. Matt Smith (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. / Wyoming Seminary) came in the ninth with the bases loaded to complete the win and earning his second save of the season.

The Crusaders (3-8) had nine hits in the contest, as Nick Kennedy (Brookeville, Md. / Good Council) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Dylan Glassmire (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks South) and Chris Ryan (Toms River, N.J / Toms River North) both had two hits apiece.

SU jumped out to an early lead as Kennedy reached on a single and Rob Marcickiewicz (Red Bank, N.J. / Middletown South) was hit by a pitch. Glassmire stroked a base knock to left field, scoring Kennedy and giving the Crusaders a 1-0 edge.

The Giants (7-2) tied the game at 1-1 in the third and worked the bases loaded. But Hood struck out the last batter to work out of the jam and keep the contest deadlocked.

The Crusaders tacked on two more runs in the third as Kennedy cracked another single and Marcickiewicz reached on a fielder's choice. Bryan Palsi (Brielle, N.J. / Manasquan) singled through the left side, scoring Kennedy. Glassmire moved the runners over with a sac bunt and Ryan picked up an RBI with a right field single to give SU a 3-1 advantage.

Ty Raubenstine (Elizabethville, Pa. / Upper Dauphin) singled up the middle and later stole second to begin the bottom of the fourth. Kennedy brought him home with a base hit to right, making the score 4-1 in SU's favor.

The Giants looked to threaten in the fifth after a pair of walks issued by Hood but a crucial 6-4-3 double play helped the Crusaders escape the inning. Hood remained poised on the hill until the ninth, when Smith came in and shut the door on Keystone, giving SU the upset victory.

The Crusaders return to Pennsylvania and play at Neumann on Thursday, March 14 at 3:30 p.m.