Box Score Box Score
WINTERHAVEN, Fla. (March 10, 2012) – Drew baseball started their spring training trip off with a 10-6 win over Northland College (2-7) this afternoon at Chain of Lakes Sports Complex. Senior Pete Tuchol (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and his first home run of the spring. The Rangers improved to 3-1 on the year.

Both teams pushed across a run in their first turn at the plate tying the game at one early on. With men on second and third, Tuchol recorded his second RBI of the season with a groundout to second to get the Rangers on the board. For the Lumberjacks, Colin Moberly brought in Peter Aerts in the bottom half of the inning on a single to knot up the game.

Northland took the lead in the bottom of  third inning on a RBI single by Travis Hendrickson. Drew starting pitcher, Tom Koontz (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) went four innings allowing three runs, and striking out two.

The Rangers captured their first lead of the game in the top of the six by posting three runs, forcing Northland starter, Kyle Strom, out of the game. Tuchol led the inning with his third career home run With two outs in the inning, the Rangers added two more runs on a Dominic Reyes (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) RBI single and another when Matthew Kaplon came in on a wild pitch to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead.

Freshman Matthew Hunter (Forest Hills, N. Y./Archbishop Molloy) provided the Rangers with three innings of solid relief, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth. Drew extended its lead in the top half of the inning to 6-3 but the Lumberjacks were not fazed. Northland opened the inning off with three-straight hits. A pair of RBI singles and a balk plated three more runners, tying the game back up at six.

The Rangers responded with a four-run ninth inning, their most in a single frame this season. Pat Lydon (Cumberland, R.I./Mount St. Charles Academy) gave the Rangers the lead with an RBI single that scored freshman Chris Roll (Linden, N.J./Union County Vo-Tech). The Rangers churned out three more runs including a successful squeeze play by Reyes.

Junior Pat Rock (Cranston, R.I./Providence Country Day) shut the door in the ninth inning and was credited with his first win of the season.

The Rangers will be back in action tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. when they take on Vassar College in the second game of the RussMatt Invitational.