MADISON, N.J. (March 17, 2016) – The 100^th hit of senior second baseman Anthony Feltre's career was one of 17 for the Drew University baseball team, who won its 2016 home opener at Doc Young Field on Thursday in a slugfest, 13-10, over St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) College.
 
Eight different Rangers (6-5) recorded hits, while seven drove in runs in the high-scoring affair. The Bears (4-6) came into Opening Day at the Doc winners of four straight, and despite erasing a 4-0 deficit in the first inning to lead 7-4 after four innings, fell to the Rangers after they scored six in the fifth and three in the sixth.
 
Feltre picked up his 100^th career hit in the second inning and finished 1-for-3 with a run and two walks. Sophomore right fielder Ryan Sabbag continues his torrid start to the season with a 3-for-5 day with his second home run of the season, three RBIs and three runs. He is now batting .462 while playing in all 11 games. Junior catcher Mike Miragliaand sophomore shortstop Isaiah Mateo also each batted 3-for-5, with Mateo driving in a pair of runs.
 
Staked with a 13-10 lead in the top of the ninth, freshman pitcher Joshua Williams nailed down his first career save with a scoreless frame, giving up a hit and striking out one. Freshman Davis Fouts picked up the victory in relief, throwing 4.1 innings of three-run ball with seven hits and a walk.
 
Drew jumped ahead early in the first by loading the bases with no outs. Junior designated hitter Tommy Broylesdelivered an RBI fielder's choice, Sabbag knocked in a run with a double over the left fielder's head, and freshman left fielder Jayson Mitch drove in two more with a hard-hit liner down the right field chalk.
 
The Bears would not go quietly and struck back in the third and fourth innings with seven runs. Fouts came on in the fourth to record the final out and stop the bleeding, and worked a scoreless fifth and sixth innings to give Drew a change to regain its lead.
 
They did just that with an offensive barrage in the fifth inning. The Rangers got five hits and six runs to jump back ahead, sparked by a two-run line drive home run to left-center field by Sabbag in the fifth. Mateo and senior first baseman Bobby Miskura each added RBI singles as Drew took a 10-7 lead out of the fifth inning.
 
The Rangers added important insurance in the sixth, started by an RBI sacrifice by junior center fielder Richie Poland. Freshman third baseman Eric DiPietro delivered his second hit of the game, an RBI single to score Mitch, which was followed by another RBI base knock by Mateo for the 13-7 lead. The runs loomed large as St. Joseph's fought back for three runs in the seventh. Fouts again settled the Bears' bats and pitched a scoreless eighth.
 
Williams worked around a pair of base runners as the Bears brought the tying run to the plate, but the Rangers held on to move above the .500 mark heading into Landmark Conference play on Saturday.
 
The first league series will be played at Susquehanna University on Saturday, March 19 with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The third game is slated for Sunday at noon.