Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MADISON, N.J. (April 11, 2014) – The Drew University baseball team exploded for a season-high 16 hits in an 8-1 win over The Catholic University of America on Friday afternoon, and fell 3-0 in Game 2 to earn the split in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Doc Young Field.
 
Eight different Rangers picked up a hit in the 8-1 victory, including six with multiple hits. Junior right fielder Al Krause and sophomore first baseman Bobby Miskura led the way as each went 3-for-4 at the plate. Krause added an RBI, while Miskura knocked in two runs for Drew (9-13, 3-5 Landmark).
 
"We played very well today," said head coach Brian Hirschberg. "We took advantage of the opportunities in Game 1 and put together some quality offensive innings. We got back-to-back hits, we got hits with runners in scoring position, and everyone contributed. We earned every bit of that win in a great baseball game."
 
Drew jumped on the Cardinals (16-12, 6-5) early in Game 1 with three runs in the bottom of the first on a Krause RBI single and Miskura's two-run single. After Catholic cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second, Drew hung a five-spot in the home half of the frame to take an 8-1 advantage. Senior catcher Matthew Kaplon capped the rally with a two-run single.
 
"We did a very good job in Game 1 of coming out and being ready to play," said Kaplon, who went 2-for-4 in the victory. "That showed that in our offensive approach. We hit it well and we knew we would have to be on our best game to take at least one game today. We feel good going into the weekend."
 
Sophomore starting pitcher Dylan Baxter improved to 3-1 on the hill for the Rangers after scattering seven hits over the complete-game, seven-inning effort. The sophomore walked three and struck out two while saving the Drew bullpen for the rest of a five-game stint played over three days.
 
Sophomore pitcher Drew Blanco took the hard-luck loss in Game 2 after allowing just one unearned run on three hits and two walks. Blanco blanked the Cardinals over the first four innings before an error got Catholic on the board in the fifth for the 1-0 lead. The Cardinals stretched the lead to 3-0 in the sixth off junior reliever Matthew Hunter.
 
"Baxter was lights out again," his catcher, Kaplon, said. "To be honest, I've seen him better, and that's a testament to the kind of person he is. He's really good at making adjustments and he gave us a great performance. Blanco did a great job, and just fell behind on a couple of hits and an error. Hunter threw well, too. He wants to be perfect, but that's baseball. It's very hard to be perfect."
 
The Ranger offense was as close to perfect as they've been all season in Game 1. Sophomore third baseman Mike Klinger was 2-for-3, including a two-run double in the second inning to give Drew the 5-1 lead.
 
Freshman left fielder Mike Di Donato laid down a safety squeeze, and beat out the throw for an RBI single to score Klinger and put Drew ahead 6-1 later in the second.
 
After the offensive onslaught in Game 1, Hirschberg saw his team run into a determined Catholic pitcher looking to avoid the doubleheader sweep in Game 2. The Cardinals' Kevin Farley improved to 5-0 after hurling six shutout innings with two hits and five strikeouts.
 
"We did not play poorly in the second game, but you have to give credit to their starting pitcher," Hirschberg said. "He kept us off balance, which was not an easy task after we got 16 hits in the first game today. That's baseball; sometimes you get the break. That's a good baseball team we played, they just came out on top."
 
Di Donato and junior shortstop Steve Kowalski picked up Drew's only two hits in the Game 2 setback.
 
At 3-5 in the Landmark Conference, the Rangers are in fifth place, one spot out of a playoff position with 10 league games remaining on the schedule. Three of those will be decided this weekend at Juniata College, with a doubleheader kicking off the action on Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m. The nine-inning contest is set for Sunday, April 13 at noon.
 
Drew will conclude the Catholic series with the nine-inning game on Friday, April 25 at 4 p.m. at Doc Young Field. The series was originally scheduled for the weekend of March 29, but was postponed due to rain.