Port Charlotte, Fla. – Susquehanna University scored five runs in the third inning of Friday's baseball game against Keystone College to erase an early deficit on its way to a 9-5 victory at the Snowbird Classic. The River Hawks moved to 5-6 on the season while the Giants fall to 5-5 on the spring, ending their spring break trip to Florida with a 5-3 mark.
Keystone jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning as
Brendan Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) drove in
Anthony Ferrezza (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) with an RBI single before
Billy Nelson (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) scored on a sacrifice fly from
Chris Panzarella (Hazle Township, Pa./Hazleton Area).
Susquehanna got a run back in the bottom of the second inning before scoring five runs on four hits and three errors by the Giants to claim a 6-2 advantage in the third inning.
Keystone cut its deficit to 6-3 in the visitor's fourth when Ferrezza singled home
Tony Hunter II (Savannah, Ga./South Effingham), but the River Hawks countered with three runs in the home sixth to open up a 9-3 cushion.
Long connected on another RBI base hit in the seventh inning and Nelson scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning to close out the scoring for the Giants.
Susquehanna starter Bobby Grigas allowed three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings while James Panzarino yielded one run on five hits in 2.2 innings. Jack Kinney and A.J. Pinto combined to get the final six outs for the River Hawks.
Taylor Luckenbill and Cory Fallon had three hits apiece for Susquehanna, who held a 14-12 edge in hits for the game.
Long was charged with the loss for Keystone after allowing six runs - just one of which was earned - on eight hits while striking out one in three innings of work.
Pat Meagher (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) pitched two innings in relief, yielding two runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Dylan Leahy (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) gave up one run and one hit in two-thirds of an inning while
Tyler Widitz (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) walked one and recorded an out before handing the ball off to
Dan Maguire (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), who pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of hits against.
Ferrezza finished the game 3-4 at the place while Nelson, Long, and
Sebastian De La Cruz (Port Jervis, N.Y./Port Jervis) recorded two hits apiece in the loss.
Keystone is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference game at Kean University. First pitch between the Giants and Cougars is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Union, New Jersey.