FORT PIERCE, FL - Susquehanna notched two wins against Heidelberg and Northwestern (Minn.) ahead of final day in Florida. The River Hawks won a back-and-forth showdown with Heidelberg by an 8-5 score, before shutting out the Eagles in the afternoon, 4-0, marking their second shutout this trip after beating Misericordia 7-0 on Wednesday.
Susquehanna 8-Heidelberg 5:
- Heidelberg struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
- The River Hawks responded right away, knocking in three runs in the fourth inning to gain their first lead of the contest. CJ Orrego sent a ball to the warning track earning a triple and scoring Jaden Buechler.
- Susquehanna's offense continued to strike, when Michael Girardi singled through the left side, scoring Orrego from third base.
- The final run of the inning came when Aidan Proctor earned a walk, pushing a run across the base.
- The Student Prince regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs.
- The River Hawks knotted the game back up in the sixth inning, when Andrew Haussman doubled to right center, scoring the speedy Dylan Heyduk.
- Both teams offense went stale until the 8th inning when Susquehanna regained the lead. Michael Gagliardi singled, scoring Michael Girardi for SU's fifth run of the contest.
- Heidelberg did not sit quietly for long, as the Student Prince immediately tied the game back up in the bottom half of the frame.
- Heading into the ninth inning, the River Hawks pulled away form Heidelberg, scoring three runs. CJ Orrego continued to dazzle with a single to right field, bringing in Lucas Zachesky. Girardi singled to right field to pull in the final two runs of the contest in the likes of Austin Wenger and Jaden Buechler.
- Susquehanna held any attempt at a comeback at bay, winning the game 8-5.
Susquehanna 4-Northwestern 0:
- The River Hawks offense found a spark in the third inning, scoring their first two runs of the game.
- Aidan Proctor sent a SAC fly to right field, scoring Dylan Heyduk from third base. Lucas Zachesky sent a double to right field with the ensuing at-bat, scoring Michael Gagliardi.
- Susquehanna's final two runs of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Michael Gagliardi singled to left field, scoring both Heyduk and Girardi.
- Susquehanna's defense was the showcase against the Eagles, with Ben Gearhart earning the start for the River Hawks.Gearhart finished the day pitching seven full innings, picking off two batters from first base.
Inside the Box Score:
- Susquehanna notched 14 hits against the Student Prince, in comparison to Heidelberg's eight. Both Jaden Buechler and Michael Girardi each earned three hits during the contest.
- Luke Goodwin earned the start for the River Hawks, pitching 4.2 innings. Goodwin finished his day with three strikeouts while allowing only five hits.
- Goodwin's relief consisted of Nate Fronheiser, Zach Plank, Max Lipton, and Cole Lilore all seeing the mound. Max Lipton earned the win for the River Hawks, pitching 0.2 innings during the game.
- SU notched seven hits against the Eagles, with Dylan Heyduk hitting 3-4 from the box. Four River Hawks all notched one hit during the contest.
- Ben Gearhart earned the start for SU, pitching over 100 pitches. Gearhart finished his day pitching seven full innings, striking out four batters. Gearhart earned two pick-offs during the contest. Robert Kramer finished the game for SU, pitching the remaining two innings, allowing one hit, striking out one batter.
Up Next for the River Hawks:
- Susquehanna wraps up their Florida trip by facing off against a worthy foe in Penn State Behrend. Susquehanna heads into the game, 6-1 in Florida, with the team's only blemish coming against Manchester University.
