MADISON, N.J. (April 6, 2014) – Clutch hitting, shutdown pitching and dazzling defense was the recipe for the Drew University baseball team on Sunday afternoon as the Rangers avoided a Landmark Conference three-game series sweep with a 2-1 victory over The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Doc Young Field.
 
Senior starting pitcher Ken Myers earned the victory on the mound after tossing seven innings, allowing a run on five hits and two walks with one strikeout. Junior reliever Matthew Hunter closed the door for the save, throwing the scoreless final two innings. Junior Robert Auletti notched the game-winning RBI with a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Rangers (8-10, 2-3 Landmark) held the lead due in large part to a spectacular defensive play in the top of the eighth inning leading 2-1. Junior right fielder Al Krause erased a leadoff double by laying out for a diving catch and firing in to second base for the double play.
 
"I'll take anything to push us forward at this point," head coach Brian Hirschberg said. "I believe when you play well in all phases of the game, it gives you the confidence to repeat that game in and game out. Good hitting and pitching is contagious. We all run into rough spots, but this high level of play can carry us forward."
 
Myers improved to 1-2 on the year. The Rangers' southpaw allowed just five base runners through the first five frames. USMMA tagged Myers for his first run in the top of the sixth when Warren Hartmann picked up the Mariners' third hit of the afternoon with a triple to right center. Hartmann scored on the play for the 1-0 lead after a throwing error on the attempt to throw the Mariner out at third.
 
"It feels great because we needed this one," said Myers, whose club dropped the first two games of the series in a doubleheader on Saturday. "We played tough yesterday and thought we should have came out with two wins. We knew how important this game was to stay alive in the conference playoffs. We have been hitting the ball hard; they have just been hit at the defense. Finally we got some to fall. Rob Auletti's pinch hit was clutch. We always have confidence in Rob to come through."
 
Drew threatened offensively in each of the first two innings. Freshman designated hitter Jonathan Rodrigues and Krause both found themselves in scoring position after drawing walks, but we stranded in the bottom of the first. Sophomore second baseman Anthony Feltre two-hopped a double off the left field fence with one out in the second, but the Mariners' started again worked out of trouble.
 
After Merchant Marine took the lead, Myers rebounded nicely in the seventh by retiring the Mariners in order to set up the Rangers' game-changing inning.
 
"Ken Myers gave us a great to chance to win the game," Hirschberg said. "He threw strikes and kept their hitters off balance. That's what a senior does when we need a win. Matt Hunter is also another one we expect a lot out of. When we put him in, we're looking for that win or save."
 
Freshman first baseman Tommy Broyles led off the seventh inning with a single, and after two outs were recorded, senior catcher Matthew Kaplon drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Feltre followed in the next at-bat with an RBI single to right field to tie the game at 1-1, and Auletti came through with the pinch-hit game winner to score Kaplon a batter later.
 
"Rob is the type of kid who is prepared for the moment," Hirschberg said. "When he gets the opportunities, he's been very good for us. He's forcing the coaching staff's hand for more at-bats with the way he's come through."
 
The Mariners immediately threatened to tie the game in the top half of the eighth with a leadoff double with Hunter on to pitch for the Rangers. The threat was eliminated thanks to Krause's gem in right field. Hunter capped off the inning with a strikeout.
 
"Al Krause has been clutch for us all year," Hirschberg said. "It's almost unfair that we expect that kind of play from him, because we know how clutch he is. He's a special player, he made a big play and that's what it took to get a win today."
 
Hunter worked around a one-out single in the ninth to record his second save of the season.
 
Myers knows how important a role momentum plays during a grueling baseball schedule. The senior also admitted that his faith in his abilities is just as important.
 
"I was struggling a little bit with my confidence," said Myers, whose ERA dropped about four runs on Sunday. "My last start at Moravian didn't go well. I wanted to get a good outing to get my confidence back, and I did that today in a big conference game. I hope we can all keep it up."
 
The Rangers, in the midst of playing six games in five days, will continue their Landmark Conference slate on Monday at 3:30 p.m. with the conclusion of a three-game series at Moravian College postponed from March. Drew split the series-opening doubleheader in Bethlehem on March 21 to hand the first place Greyhounds' their only conference loss to date.