MADISON, N.J. (April 29, 2017) – The Drew University baseball team set a new school record for wins in a season with 24 and boosted its Landmark Conference playoff hopes with a Senior Day Saturday sweep of Susquehanna University at Doc Young Field in a league doubleheader.
 
By the Numbers: The Rangers won a pair of tight games, 4-2 and 3-1, both of which were saved by senior closing pitcher Tommy Broyles. Drew moves into first place in the Landmark Conference with four games to play and a 10-4 record to go with a program best 24-11 overall record. Drew has now won eight straight games, the longest winning streak in Drew history, while the River Hawks fall to 20-16 and 11-6 in league play.

The new school record surpasses the previous best season of 23-8-1 in 1998.
 
Top Performers
• Broyles celebrated his Senior Day with a pair of saves, closing the door in both victories without allowing a run in a total of 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed a hit and walk in 2.1 frames in Game 1 before getting the call in Game 2 for two more scoreless innings with just one hit allowed.
• Starting pitching set the tone for the successful day. Senior Ryan Fitzpatrick won Game 1 and improved to 6-1 on the year with 4.2 innings of two-run ball with four hits, two walks and five strikeouts. With 61 strikeouts this season, he ranks eighth in school history for a single year.
• Freshman Pete Violante earned the win in Game 2 with five innings, one run, six hits and no walks. The rookie struck out one batter and improves to 3-2 on the mound in 2017.
• Senior third baseman Jonathan Rodrigues produced insurance runs in both games, an RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 1 for the 4-2 lead, followed by a run-scoring single in the fourth inning of Game 2 to put the Rangers up 3-1.
 
Game 1 Highlights
• Susquehanna took an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Cory Fallon in the top of the second, but Drew struck back quickly with two runs in the bottom half of the frame on back-to-back RBI doubles from senior center fielder Marc Cohen and junior second baseman Isaiah Mateo for a 2-1 lead.
• Mateo drove in another run in his next appearance, a sacrifice fly to plate Cohen, who beat out an infield single to lead off the inning before stealing a base and advancing to third on a balk.
• The River Hawks touched Fitzpatrick for another run in the fifth before Broyles came on to retire the final batter with a looking strikeout.
 
Game 2 Highlights
• Sophomore shortstop Zach Lipshitz was 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot, and freshman left fielder Max Felsenstein bat 2-for-3.
• A costly error put Drew up 2-0 in the second. With two outs and the bases loaded, Lipshitz looked to have grounded into a routine out, but the play was botched, allowing the runners who had gotten a head start on the pitch to score on the play.
• Susquehanna launched its second home run of the day, a solo shot and the only run against Violante in the fourth inning as the River Hawks cut the Drew lead to 2-1.
 
Up Next: The Rangers close out the three-game set with Susquehanna on Sunday, April 30 at noon at Doc Young Field.