SELINSGROVE, Pa. (May 7, 2016) – The Drew University baseball team ended its 2016 season in the Landmark Conference Championship semifinal series at Susquehanna University, losing two back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire games on Saturday afternoon.
 
The top-seeded Crusaders (27-14) advance to the championship series by following up a 5-3 win in Game 1 with a walk-off double in the 10^th inning of Game 2 to win 5-4 in come-from-behind fashion. The No. 4 Rangers finish the season 18-23 overall after making their first appearance in the Landmark playoffs since winning it all back in 2012.
 
Top Performers: Freshman shortstop Zach Lipshitz concluded a breakout rookie campaign with hits and RBIs in both games (3-for-7, 2 RBIs), while another freshman in left fielder Jayson Mitch wrapped up an equally impressive first year with a 4-for-9 day at the plate in the playoffs.
 
Senior left-hander Dylan Baxter took a hard-luck no decision after a brilliant start in Game 2 that saw him leave the mound with a 4-1 lead. The co-captain gave up just five hits and a walk over 7.1 innings of work while allowing two earned runs.
 
Turning Point: In Game 2, and RBI single by Lipshitz, a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Bobby Miskura and a wild pitch gave Drew a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. Following a solo home run in the sixth, the Crusaders would eventually erase that lead in the eighth inning, and nearly went ahead if it were not for junior closer Tommy Broyles skating out of a jam with runners on second and third with one out. Broyles worked a perfect ninth to force extra innings, but Susquehanna walked off in the bottom of 10^th with two runners on and one out to advance to the championship series.
 
Seesaw Battle: Game 1 featured a back-and-forth fight with Drew getting on the board first on Broyle's run-scoring single in the Rangers' opening inning. Susquehanna went ahead 2-1, but in the fourth, a Susquehanna error and Lipshitz's RBI single put the Rangers back ahead, 3-2.
 
The Crusaders quickly tied it up and subsequently went ahead in the bottom half of the fourth with a pair of runs, then tacked on insurance in the eighth for the eventual 5-3 final score.
 
Other Highlights: Senior second baseman Anthony Feltre wrapped up his career in Blue & Green with a 3-for-10 performance with a run scored in the semifinals, sophomore right fielder Ryan Sabbag picked up a hit in each game, and junior catcher Mike Miraglia went 2-for-5 in Game 2.