MADISON, N.J. (April 30, 2017) – Susquehanna University scored two unearned runs in the top of the eighth to salvage the final game of a three-game Landmark Conference set and defeat the Drew University baseball team 3-2 on Sunday at Doc Young Field.
 
By the Numbers: Susquehanna completes its league schedule and clinches a spot in the Landmark Conference Championship in mid-May with a 12-6 league record to go with a 21-16 overall mark. The Rangers see their program-record eight game winning streak halted, and fall to 24-12 overall, 10-5 in the Landmark and 9-9 at The Doc.
 
Playoff Picture: With three games to play and Landmark Conference action ongoing on Sunday, Drew can finish anywhere from first place and hosting the conference playoffs to fifth place and out of the race. Catholic is in first place with one game to play, a suspended game against Moravian with the Greyhounds leading 1-0 in the fifth. If Catholic loses that game, Drew can sweep Elizabethtown next weekend and host the conference championship tournament.
 
If Moravian loses that game, which is scheduled to be completed on Saturday, May 6, the Rangers clinch a playoff berth regardless of the results of their own final three games.
 
Top Performers
• Sophomore shortstop Zach Lipshitz led Drew at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance while driving in both of the Rangers' runs. His sacrifice fly in the second put Drew up 1-0, and a liner off the pitcher's shin in the seventh scored a go-ahead run at 2-1 and literally chased the Susquehanna starter from the game.
• Freshman pitcher Jeff Serin continued the streak of quality starts, going six innings with two runs on six hits and two walks. The rookie struck out two and settled for the no decision.
• Senior center fielder Marc Cohen bat 2-for-4 and scored both of the Drew runs on Sunday.
 
The Difference: A costly error in the eighth. With two outs in the frame and senior closer Tommy Broyles attempting to nail down his third save in as many games, Susquehanna was given another life with a fielding miscue. They took advantage with an RBI double to the gap to tie the game and a looping single down the left field line to go ahead 3-2.
 
Drew had the stage set to tie or win the game in the ninth with the bases loaded and just one out, but the River Hawks got a 5-2-3 double play to walk off with the win.
 
Highlights
• Broyles pitched the final two innings, giving him 6.1 innings out of the bullpen this series, and took a hard-luck loss – his first of the season. He didn't allow an earned run to lower his season ERA to 0.86.
• Sophomore first baseman Joe Grossane set up the game's first run by singling and loading the bases with one out for Lipshitz's sac fly.
• Cohen singled to lead off the seventh, advanced to second on Isaiah Mateo's sacrifice and to third on a deep fly ball off the bat of Grossane. He then scored on Lipshitz's rocket off the pitcher's leg as the ball ricocheted into foul territory.
• During the one-out comeback attempt in the ninth, Grossane reached on an error, Lipshitz singled and senior third baseman Jonathan Rodrigues got a base hit to load the bases before the game-ending double play.
 
Up Next: The Rangers are looking to schedule its allotted 40^th game sometime this week, but for now, are scheduled to return to action in the final Landmark series of the year at Elizabethtown on Saturday, May 6 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The series was postponed from March 18-19 due to Winter Storm Stella.