La Plume, Pa. – Keystone College battled past #25 Misericordia University with a 9-7 victory on Monday afternoon in a non-conference baseball contest at Christy Mathewson Field.  The Giants lift their record to 26-10 overall with the win over the regional-rival Cougars, who slip to 24-12 on the season.
 
Keystone took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning of Monday's contest on back-to-back RBI singles from Sebastian De La Cruz (Port Jervis, N.Y./Port Jervis) and Greg Gehring (New Suffolk, N.Y./Southland), but Misericordia counter with a pair of runs on three hits in the top of the third inning to tie the contest at two-apiece.
 
The Cougars took a 5-2 advantage in the visitor's fourth when Kenny Jarema connected on a three-run home run to right field, but the Giants answered with three runs of their own in the home half of the frame to knot the game back up at 5-5.
 
De La Cruz scored on a bunt single by Anthony Ferrezza (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) before Brendan Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) hit a two-run double off the top of the left field fence to tie the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Misericordia went back to the point in the top of the fifth inning on a pair of RBI singles to claim a 7-5 advantage.  In the bottom half of the frame, Barr came home on a wild pitch to make it a one run game.
 
Keystone then jumped back in front with a pair of runs in the home sixth as Ferrezza scored on an RBI groundout by Adam Kelly (Beach Lake, Pa./Honesdale) before Barr drove in Long with a sacrifice fly to give the Giants an 8-7 edge.
 
Billy Nelson (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) gave the Giants an insurance run by launched a solo home run deep over the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning to push Keystone's advantage to 9-7.
  
Keystone starter Tyler Widitz (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) pitched two scoreless innings with two hits against while Dylan Leahy (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) allowed four runs on four hits while striking out one batter in a pair of innings.  Dan Maguire (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) was charged with two runs on three hits while picking up on K in two-thirds of an inning before giving way to Joe DeAngelis (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) who pick up the win after hurling 2.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout and three hits against.
 
Troy Terzi (Wallingford, Conn./Notre Dame ) pitched the final two innings to earn the save, working around three hits while picking out three strikeouts in a pair of scoreless innings.
 
Ferrezza and Long had three hits apiece to lead the Giants with Long leading the squad with two RBI.  Ferrezza and Nelson scored twice for the hosts in the win.
 
Misericordia starter Zach Mason took a no-decision after allowing six runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings. Kyle Melahn was charged with the loss after allowing a pair of runs on two hits in 1.2 innings while Elliot Forde and Brett Davis tossed an inning apiece to close out the game on the mound for the Cougars.
 
Cole Bixler and Parker Abate had three hits apiece to lead Misericordia as the Cougars held a 15-12 edge in hits for the game. 
 
Keystone will be right back in action on Tuesday with another home non-conference game, taking on Stevens Institute of Technology at 4:00 p.m. at Christy Mathewson Field.