Box Score MADISON, N.J. (April 27, 2014) – It was a bittersweet ending to the Landmark Conference slate for the Drew University baseball team as a 9-5 victory over The University of Scranton on Sunday afternoon at Doc Young Field was not enough to qualify for the conference playoffs.
 
The Rangers (17-19, 10-8 Landmark) swept the Royals (9-20, 4-14) in the three-game Landmark series, but were eliminated from playoff contention after a three-way tie in the final standings with The Catholic University of America and The United States Merchant Marine Academy was broken via head-to-head records. With all three schools tied at 10-8, Catholic had a 4-2 record within the threesome, while USMMA was 3-3. Drew was 2-4 and just missed qualifying for the postseason tournament after finishing in fifth place.
 
Drew scored eight runs in the fifth inning and held the Royals scoreless after that point to hold on for the win.
 
In their final Landmark Conference contest, the Class of 2014 had a big impact in the victory over the Royals on Sunday. Starting pitcher Ken Myers picked up the win on the mound after throwing a complete game, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts. Catcher Matthew Kaplon was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while centerfielder Dominic Reyes went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs.
 
Second baseman Pat Lydon and third baseman Corey Mulligan also saw action in the field in the Landmark Conference finale.
 
"I can't say enough about our senior class," said head coach Brian Hirschberg. "They are tremendous young men and I respect these guys so much. We had guys who understood their roles and knew how they could help their team on and off the field. The success of a team is going to be based off the leadership at the core. Our record this year wasn't indicative of the success we had, and a lot of that success is due in large part to our seniors."
 
In a must-win situation, Drew was forced to play from behind as the Royals took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Sophomore first baseman Bobby Miskura helped keep it close in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to plate junior shortstop Steve Kowalski to make it 3-1. Kowalski (3-for-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI) singled to lead off the frame and stole second to get in scoring position.
 
Kowalski would steal his second base of the game in the eight-run fifth inning to give him 22 stolen bases on the year, which is now tied for the league lead in the category and tied for the sixth best mark in a single season in program history.
 
The Royals extended their lead in the third after an RBI triple and a wild pitch gave Scranton a 5-1 advantage.
 
The Ranger bats came alive in the fifth for eight runs on seven hits. Miskura started the rally with an RBI single to score Reyes, and sophomore third baseman Mike Klinger followed with a double to score Kowalski to cut the Scranton lead to 5-4.
 
Kaplon tied the game at 5-5 with his RBI single, and Reyes promptly put the Rangers ahead for the first time on Sunday with the bases loaded on his second hit of the inning. He cleared the bases with a three-run double to the left centerfield gap to give Drew an 8-5 lead. Kowalski also picked up his second hit of the inning, and third in the game, to plate Reyes, who crossed the plate for the second time in the fifth to set the score at 9-5.
 
"As the year progressed, we became a complete team," Hirschberg said. "We relied on our pitching and defense for so long, we wanted to see if our bats could come alive to support us. Later in the season, we could rely on one area of our game to pick us up. We got a good look at that today with our offense scoring eight runs in an inning."
 
Myers faced the minimum batters over the final four innings, allowing only a walk over the final 12 outs. Miskura erased the walk when he executed an unassisted double play at first base after a Scranton lineout in the top of the eighth inning. After making the snag, Miskura dove at the bag to beat the Royals runner and record the double play.
 
With the news coming late in Sunday's contest that USMMA had won its game and clinched the final playoff spot, Hirschberg and the Rangers' initial disappointment turned into looking ahead at a bright future for the Drew baseball program.
 
"We are still a very young team," the third-year headman said. "It's hard to win a baseball game. When you have a young team, you learn from both the wins and losses. Sometimes it's physical and other times it's mental. Every time out you learn something and it makes you a better baseball player. We believe there is a lot to come of these guys returning next year."
 
Drew will conclude its 2014 regular season on Tuesday, April 29 when Muhlenberg College comes to Doc Young Field at 4 p.m. for a non-conference game.