HOBOKEN, N.J. (Feb. 25, 2015) – The Drew University baseball team opened the 2015 season on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology and succumbed to crooked numbers in the third and fourth innings en route to a 9-2 setback.
 
The Rangers (0-1) received RBIs from senior shortstop Steve Kowalski and senior centerfielder Al Krause in the seventh inning, while sophomore pitchers Patrick Boyle and Tommy Broyles combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
 
On a sunny afternoon that featured temperatures near 40 degrees for the first time in months, Stevens (1-0) broke a deadlock in the third inning with a four-run frame. After Drew sophomore starter Dylan Baxter hit the leadoff batter, Stevens took advantage with a hit and reaching on an error to put three Ducks on the pond. A fielder's choice brought home the first run before Baxter recorded a big out by coaxing a pop out to shortstop. The Ducks answered with an RBI single and a two-run double to take a 4-0 lead.
 
The Ducks piled on the runs in the home half of the fourth. Two walks and two hits led to three more Stevens run and a 7-0 lead.
 
Drew's offense came in the seventh inning, when the Rangers strung together three straight hits and hung two runs on the scoreboard. Sophomore right fielder Marc Cohen sparked the one-out rally with a single through the left side, followed by the first collegiate hit by freshman left fielder Ryan Sabbag, a ground-rule double. Kowalski would then beat out an infield single to score Cohen, and kept the foot on the gas as he and Sabbag would pull off the double steal. Krause plated the Rangers' second run with an RBI groundout.
 
The offense came amidst some shutdown pitching by a pair of Rangers relievers. Boyle made his Drew debut by hurling 2.2 innings of hitless and scoreless baseball, walking one and hitting one batter. Broyles followed with a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a strikeout. Baxter (0-1) went three innings, allowing five hits and zero walks, struck out two, and was charged with one earned run because of the third-inning error.
 
With the Rangers' three-game series in Maryland canceled for this weekend, Drew is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m. against Keystone College at Doc Young Field.