La Plume, Pa. – Stevens Institute of Technology used a four-run ninth inning to break open a one-run game on Tuesday to pull away with an 8-3 victory over Keystone College in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday at Christy Mathewson Field.  The Ducks improve to 18-21-1 on the spring while the Giants will take a 26-11 record into a key conference series to end the regular season.   
 
Stevens took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Tuesday with a two-run single up the middle from Shaye Bartnick, but Keystone answered back with three runs on two hits and one errors in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-2 advantage.
 
Brendan Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) lifted a two-run home run over the left field fence to tie the game before Chris Panzarella (Hazle Township, Pa./Hazleton Area) came around to score on a fielding error by the Ducks to put the Giants in front.
 
The visitors leveled the contest at 3-3 in the top of the third inning on an RBI double down the right field line from P.J. Wiegartner before taking a 4-3 edge in the visitor's fifth on an RBI single from Patrick Rood.
 
Stevens built a five-run cushion in the top of the ninth inning by scoring four runs on three hits and one error to claim an 8-3 lead. 
 
The Giants threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out.  Long stepped to the plate and belted a liner that was snagged by the Ducks' third baseman who stepped on the third for the double play to end the ballgame.
 
Stevens starter Quinn DiPasquale pitched 8.1 strong innings to earn the win, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out seven batters.  Drew Hanke closed out the game by contest by getting the game-ending double play as the Ducks escaped the jam.
 
The visitors, who held a 12-8 advantage in hits for the game, got a pair of hits from four different players in the victory.
 
Billy Nelson (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) was charged with the loss on the mound for Keystone after yielding four runs on nine hits while striking out two batters.  Pat Meagher (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) surrendered four runs on three hits while fanning three batters before handing the ball off to Long, who retired the only two batters he faced in the ninth inning.
 
Long and Anthony Ferrezza (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) had two hits apiece for the Giants
 
Keystone will open a pivotal Colonial States Athletic Conference series at Immaculata on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. before the two teams close out the regular season with a doubleheader in La Plume on Saturday.  The game was originally scheduled for Friday, but moved up a day due to forecasted rain.
 
The winner of this weekend's series will earn the top seed in the CSAC playoffs and will be the host for the championship round at PNC Field on May 12-13.  Both teams have already secured first round home postseason games on Wednesday, May 10.