MADISON, N.J. – Freshmen Justin Bonito and Tyler Bell combined on a six-hitter and the Drew University baseball team opened its Landmark Conference series versus Juniata College with a 6-3 victory on Friday at a sunny, windy Doc Young Field at Lonnstrom Stadium.
 
Bonito (2-1) pitched the first five innings and allowed just two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out three to earn the win. Bell worked the last four innings and yielded just one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out four while picking up his second save in as many appearances.
 
Senior Anthony Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a triple for the Rangers (10-7, 3-3 LC), who have won their last three games, while freshman Jack Mocik finished 2-for-4 with a double.
 
Zachary Malone pitched 6 2/3 innings for Juniata (7-11, 2-7 LC) and struck out nine.
 
The Eagles struck first, pushing across two runs in the second on one hit and one error, and a stolen base. But the Rangers pulled even in the third, when Mocik led off with a double, moved to third on a bunt single from senior Anthony Diaz Jr., and scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Raiden Yost. Hernandez capped the inning when he roped a stand-up triple on a sinking liner past the leftfielder, chasing home Diaz from first.
 
Drew went in front to stay in the fourth, when Jones led off with an infield single, was bunted to second by senior Billy Coleman, and scored on a single down the rightfield line from Mocik that made it 3-2.
 
The Rangers tacked on an unearned run on a pair of errors in the seventh, then scored two more runs without a hit in the eighth, taking advantage of three hit batsmen, a stolen base, and a pair of wild pitches, the second of which saw Jones hustle all the way from second to score.
 
Meanwhile, Bonito and Bell blanked the Eagles from the third through the eighth. Juniata threatened in the ninth and scored once on a pair of doubles, but Bell froze a batter looking to end the game.
 
Coleman turned in a pair of big plays behind the plate, picking off a runner at first in the fourth inning before throwing out an additional runner stealing second to end the fifth.

The two teams resume their season series on Saturday, when they play a doubleheader starting at noon.