YAPHANK, N.Y. (March 22, 2015) – The Drew University baseball team was swept in a Landmark Conference doubleheader against The United States Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday afternoon, falling 3-1 in Game 1 and 9-8 in extra innings in the nightcap at Baseball Heaven.
 
Senior shortstop Steve Kowalski was 4-for-7 during the twin bill with two RBIs, two runs, and two stolen bases. Junior first baseman Bobby Miskura hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of Game 2, while sophomore left fielder Mike DiDonato went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the extra-inning setback.
 
Drew fell to 3-8 overall with a 2-2 mark in the Landmark Conference, while USMMA improved to 7-3 overall and remained perfect in conference play at 5-0.
 
Late Home Run Lands USMMA 3-1 Win in Game 1
Box Score
 
Kowalski recorded the only two hits for the Rangers in Game 1, while a couple of costly errors in the first inning and a late Merchant Marine two-run home run led to Drew's first conference loss.
 
A sloppy play in the bottom of the first inning put the Mariners on the board. A muffed catch on a pickoff attempt at second base was followed by a wild throw, and Merchant Marine took a 1-0 lead. The run was unearned against Drew sophomore starter Patrick Boyle, who rebounded nicely after the first inning miscues.
 
Merchant Marine threatened in the second with two singles to begin the inning, but Boyle got a pop up and a double play to escape danger. The Ranger righty went 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and zero walks while striking out four. However, one Mariners long ball made the difference in Game 1.
 
The Rangers scored their only run of the game in the top of the fifth, when Kowalski walked with two outs and scored all the way from first base during the next at-bat on a USMMA fielding error in center field.
 
With one out and one on because of Drew's third error of the game, Merchant Marine's Cameron Stadele took Boyle deep to left field for the 3-1 lead. The Mariners closed the door in the seventh to take Game 1.
 
Rangers Edged by Mariners in Extra-Inning Slugfest
Box Score
 
An offensively quiet Game 1 was followed by a 27-hit affair in the second game of the twin bill. Eight different Rangers picked up hits, including two hits each for Kowalski, Miskura, DiDonato and junior second baseman Anthony Feltre.
 
Drew scored in five of the eight frames, but a game-tying, two-out, two-run home run by USMMA's Jacob Sithong – his second long ball of the game – in the sixth inning knotted the contest at 8-8 and eventually forced extra innings. The Mariners scored the sweep thanks to a walk-off RBI single by Sithong in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Sithong's first homer tied the game at 1-1 in the first inning, but Drew quickly took back the lead with DiDonato's RBI double in the top of the second. An RBI double by sophomore catcher Mike Miraglia, followed by a sac fly by freshman designated hitter Isaiah Mateo made it 4-1 Drew in the top of the third.
 
The Mariners again had the answer in the bottom of the third, plating four runs on four hits and a Drew error to take a 5-4 lead. Drew swung the seesaw back in its favor in the fifth with three runs to retake the lead, 7-5. DiDonato's RBI single and a two-run single by Kowalski had Drew back on top.
 
Merchant Marine inched closer with a sac fly in the fifth, but Drew extended its lead with Miskura's solo homer with one out in the top of the sixth inning. The long ball was Miskura's second of his career.
 
With junior southpaw Dylan Baxter on the mound in relief of sophomore starter Tommy Broyles, the Rangers were one out away from handing the ball to senior closer Matthew Hunter with a lead in the final inning. However, a single and Sithong's home run tied the game at 8-8. Drew went down in order in the top of the seventh, and Hunter worked the bottom of the frame 1-2-3 to force extra innings.
 
The Rangers' top of the order went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, and Merchant Marine won it on a one-out RBI single after the Mariners stole a base to get into scoring position in the bottom of the frame.
 
Drew is scheduled for non-conference action against Ramapo College on Wednesday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Doc Young Field. If the Rangers' home field is not ready by then, the game will be played at Montville High School.