Box Score BETHLEHEM, Pa. (April 8, 2014) – Junior shortstop Steve Kowalski and freshman Jonathan Rodrigues each picked up two hits in a 5-2 loss at Moravian College on Tuesday afternoon to conclude a Landmark Conference series.
 
The Greyhounds, who remain in first place in the conference with a 10-2 record, won the season series 2-1 after the two sides split the doubleheader on March 21.
 
The Rangers (8-11) fell to 2-4 in Landmark, one spot out of a playoff position with 12 conference games remaining on the slate.
 
Rodrigues and freshman center fielder Mike Di Donato picked up the RBIs in the setback.
 
Moravian did its damage in the bottom of the third inning with a five-run frame. Four consecutive hits helped the Greyhounds take a 5-0 lead against freshman starting pitcher Tommy Broyles, who began his second career start on the mound with two scoreless innings.
 
Freshman reliever Ryan Fitzpatrick turned in a solid outing from the Drew bullpen, holding the Greyhounds to two hits and a walk over 3.2 innings of relief to give the Rangers the shot at the comeback.
 
"Tommy threw very well today," said head coach Brian Hirschberg. "He left a couple balls up against a good hitting team in one inning, that's it. Fitzy came in and did a great job of keeping their hitters off balance and giving our guys a shot to get back into the game. We competed very well today, but we have to play a little better to pull out a win against a good team."
 
The comeback attempt started in the top of the eighth when sophomore second baseman Anthony Feltre led off the inning with a walk. The next Ranger batter, freshman center fielder Mike Di Donato, pulled a double down the right field line chasing Feltre all the way around the base paths to score.
 
Kowalski laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move Di Donato to third, allowing Rodrigues' ensuing groundout to plate Di Donato and cut the Moravian lead to 5-2.
 
The Greyhounds held on in the ninth to win the game and the Landmark Conference series.
 
Despite losing the series at Moravian, Hirschberg found a silver lining in the amount of freshmen that made an impact in Tuesday's conference tilt.
 
"There's no doubt that experience is a nice extra benefit," Hirschberg said of the performances by Broyles, Fitzpatrick and Di Donato. "They came in and competed in a high-pressure environment. It's a nice card to have in your back pocket when you can get those guys some valuable playing time in a conference game on the road."
 
Rodrigues especially impressed the Rangers' headman hitting out of the two-hole. The Drew rookie is fourth on the team with a .282 batting average and boasts a .378 on-base percentage.
 
"J-Rod has been doing a great job for us so far," Hirschberg said. "He continues to swing the bat well and puts pressure on opposing defenses. "
 
Drew visits The Stevens Institute of Technology for a non-conference game under the lights on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before continuing Landmark Conference action on Friday, April 11, when a doubleheader begins a three-game series with The Catholic University of America at Doc Young Field.