BETHLEHEM, PA – The Rowan University baseball team defeated host Moravian College, 6-3 in non-conference action on Monday.
The Profs are 18-4 overall while the Greyhounds have a 13-12 record. Rowan is ranked first in the American Baseball Coaches Association Poll and second in the D3baseball.com Top 25.
Third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) led the Profs at the plate with three hits (five at bats), a double and one RBI. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) produced a three-run homer. Left fielder Monny Strickland (sr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) posted two hits and scored one time.
Shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) and right fielder Kyle Golla (sr. Palm Coast, FL/Allentown (NJ)) each drove in a run and Mendel recorded his 100th career hit. Center fielder Dan Shane (jr. Perkasie, PA/Pennridge), designated hitter Shawn Leydon (sr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury), catcher Steven Hewa (jr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and Mendel had one run scored apiece.
Lefty Dante Scafidi (jr. Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) hurled 5.2 innings for the win (3-0). He surrendered just one unearned run and five hits while striking out four. Right-hander Jordan Friedman (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill E.) pitched the final two frames for his second save. He did not allow a hit and registered one strikeout. Righty Dan Morrin (sr. Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks E.) suffered the loss (1-2). He gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. Morrin posted 12 strikeouts.
Moravian center fielder Austin Markowski (jr. Neshanic Station, NJ/Somerville) went two-for-four with a double. Left fielder Mike Mittl (jr. Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) and third baseman David Wodzisz (sr. Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) each knocked in one run. Second baseman Ian Csencsits (so. Northampton, PA/Northampton Area), designated hitter Evan Kulig (jr. Allentown, PA/Salisbury) and first baseman Joey Maker (sr. Newton, NJ/Newton) each crossed the plate one time.
The Greyhounds opened the scoring in the second. Maker reached on an error with one out and advanced to second on a single. He came home on another miscue. Rowan took the lead with two runs in the fourth. Strickland singled and stole second. Provost plated Strickland with a double. Leydon walked, moved to second on a fielder's choice and scored on Golla's base hit.
The Profs increased their advantage to 5-1 with three runs in the seventh. Shane led off the inning with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on an error. Mendel followed with a free pass and Harrold blasted a three-run home run. Moravian cut the deficit to two (5-3) in the bottom of the frame. Csencsits walked and Kulig was hit by a pitch. An error loaded the bases. Csencsits came home on a fielder's choice and Kulig scored on Wodzsiz's groundout. Rowan added an insurance run in the eighth. Hewa was hit by a pitch to start the inning and came around to score on Mendel's base knock.
The baseball team travels to SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday, April 10 at 4 p.m.