SELINSGROVE, Pa. (March 19, 2016) – Landmark Conference play began for the Drew University baseball team on Saturday afternoon with a pair of losses, including one in extra innings, at Susquehanna University.
 
The Rangers (6-7, 0-2) traded the lead back-and-forth with the Crusaders (8-6) in Game 1, and the seven scheduled innings were not enough to decide a winner. Susquehanna walked off with a run in the bottom of the ninth to win 6-5 before shutting Drew out 8-0 in Game 2.
 
Sophomore shortstop Isaiah Mateo emerged from the Landmark opener with the team's highest 2016 batting average at .423 after hitting 2-for-5 with three RBIs throughout the doubleheader. Junior center fielder Richie Poland added an RBI in Game 1, and freshman left fielder Jayson Mitch was the only Ranger to hit in both games.
 
Drew concludes the three-game Landmark series with a nine-inning game on Sunday at noon in Selinsgrove.
 
Crusaders Outlast Rangers, 6-5, in Extra-Inning Affair
 
Seven innings was not enough to decide the opening game of the 2016 Landmark Conference schedule. Mateo was a large part of both innings in which Drew took a lead, but the Susquehanna bats had an answer each time, and thanks to home-field advantage, were able to walk off winners in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Drew junior starting pitcher Tommy Broyles traded a pair of scoreless innings with the Susquehanna starter before the Rangers broke through in the third. With the bases loaded, the Rangers got on the board thanks to the second of seven Susquehanna errors in the contest. With the bases still loaded, Mateo delivered a two-run single and a 3-0 lead for Drew.
 
The Crusaders got to Broyles in the third with a leadoff home run and two doubles in consecutive at-bats. A Drew error extended the inning, but Broyles escaped with the 3-2 lead after coaxing two groundouts. Susquehanna would take the 4-3 lead, however, an inning later on two runs against the Drew bullpen.
 
It didn't take long for the Rangers to respond, but not without some more help from Susquehanna's defense. Two miscues put runners on second and third with no outs, bringing up the hot bat of Mateo. The sophomore came through again with an RBI single. Then with first and third and still no outs, the senior second baseman Anthony Feltre grounded into a double play to score another and put Drew back ahead 5-4.
 
With senior Dylan Baxter on the mound in the bottom of the fifth, Susquehanna loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles. Baxter then started a 1-2-3 double play, followed by a groundout to complete the magic act and enter the sixth with the lead in tact.
 
The lead would vanish for good in the sixth inning, when Susquehanna pushed one across to tie the game at 5-5, and just missed taking a 6-5 lead. With a runner in scoring position and two outs, a Susquehanna single sent the runner gunning for home. Sophomore right fielder Ryan Sabbag fired home to junior catcher Mike Miraglia for the out at the plate. Baxter retired Susquehanna in order in the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
 
Freshman reliever Josh Williams worked around a two-walk in the eighth, but got into trouble in the ninth after a leadoff walk and a fielder's choice set the Crusaders up with the winning run at third with no outs. An intentional walk loaded the bases, but Susquehanna walked off with the first win of the Landmark season after a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Susquehanna Gets Sweep After One-Hitter in Night Cap
 
Mitch broke up Cory Fallon's no-hit bid in the top of the sixth inning with an infield single. The Rangers managed just one other base runner with freshman Zach Lipshitz's walk in the seventh, but that was all for the Drew offense.
 
Susquehanna, meanwhile, scored three runs in each the third and fourth innings, and tacked on a run in both the fifth and sixth to earn the doubleheader sweep and the 2-0 start in conference competition.