MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University baseball team erased a five-run deficit, but Moravian University scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to hand the Rangers an 8-7 setback in their home and Landmark Conference opener on Friday at Doc Young Field.
 
The Rangers (9-3, 0-1 LC) pounded out 10 hits, highlighted by a 4-for-5 showing from junior Anthony Hernandez and a two-run, game-tying home run from senior K.J. Hallgren in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Ryan Jones added a pair of hits.
 
Senior Giovanni DeGiglio started on the mound for Drew and worked eight innings for a no-decision. He scattered eight hits and two walks, and just one of his seven runs were earned.
 
Cole Cherkas went 3-for-5 for the Greyhounds (6-9, 1-0 LC) while Derek Holmes drove in three runs. Nick Henry provided the big blow for Moravian with a go-ahead double in the ninth.
 
The Rangers struck first, scoring twice in the second versus Moravian starter Ross Huffman. Hernandez led off with a double before scoring on a single from sophomore John Furch, who eventually scored on a sacrifice fly on classmate Dallas Lorenzetti's lineout to right.
 
Moravian came back with four unearned runs in the third to go up 4-2, then pushed across three more in the fifth to go up 7-2.
 
Drew answered quickly with three in the bottom half, starting with a leadoff single from Jones. After Hallgren walked and junior Nate Miller reached on an infield single, Hernandez drilled a two-run single through the left side. Sophomore Raiden Yost would then reach on a single to first, and Miller would come around to score on an error.
 
One inning later, Jones got things going again with a one-out single. Two batters later, Hallgren blasted a shot over the leftfield fence versus reliever Ethan Weber for his second career home run, tying the game at 7-7.
 
Junior TJ Shuman came in the ninth for Drew and recorded an out before Holmes was hit with a pitch. After Cherkas struck out, Henry pulled a pitch into the leftfield corner to allow Holmes to race around from first with what held up as the game-winning run.
 
Reliever Andrew Connallon got the first two outs in the ninth before Hernandez came through again, ripping a single up the middle. He went on to steal second before Furch drew a walk. Moravian then went to reliever Chris Medei, who struck out his only batter to earn the save.
 
The same two teams return to Doc Young Field on Saturday, when they close out the three-game series with a doubleheader starting at noon. Prior to the first game, Drew will recognize the 2012 team that captured the Landmark Conference title.