SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Drew University baseball team earned a doubleheader split to open a big Landmark Conference series at Susquehanna University on Saturday.
 
The Rangers (19-13, 11-8 LC) won the opener 12-6 before the River Hawks (15-15, 11-8 LC) captured a 5-3 victory in the second game. The two squads are now tied for fourth place in the conference standings.
 
In the opener, junior Matt Colucci tossed seven innings and allowed just two runs (one earned) on seven hits while classmate Raiden Yost finished 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs. Senior Nate Miller went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs while senior Anthony Diaz Jr. and junior Mike Gallaro collected two hits apiece.
 
The Rangers backed Colucci with five runs in the first two innings. Miller ripped an RBI-double in the first before the Rangers scored four runs on three hits and an error in the second to assume a 5-0 lead.
 
Drew tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to go up 7-1, then pushed across five runs in the eighth to extend its lead to 12-2.
 
Yost drilled an RBI-single in the fourth, then drove in addition runs with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and an RBI-single in the eighth, when Miller smacked a two-run double.
 
Meanwhile, Colucci (4-1) was in command. Though Susquehanna had a runner reach base every inning, he effectively worked out of trouble and tossed seven innings for the fourth time in Landmark Conference play this season.
 
In the second game, junior Ryan Jones and sophomore Kyle Johnson collected two hits apiece for the Rangers, who led 1-0 and 3-2 before Susquehanna rallied with the final three runs of the game over the sixth and seventh innings.
 
The Rangers opened the scoring with a single run in the third when freshman Jack Mocik walked, stole second, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The River Hawks answered with two runs on four hits in the bottom half, but Drew went back in front in the fourth, when Miller led off with his third double of the day. Freshman Aiden Mitchell and senior Billy Coleman walked to load the bases before Johnson was also issued a free pass to make it 3-2.
 
The River Hawks went in front to stay with a two-run sixth before adding an insurance run in the seventh.
 
Drew had the tying run at the plate in the ninth, when Johnson and Jones each singled. But Susquehanna reliever Aidan Martin induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Freshman Aidan Bauer started the second game on the mound for Drew and pitched five innings. He allowed two runs on six hits and five walks while striking out four. Freshman Justin Bonito made a relief appearance and was charged with the loss while junior Connor Ruscansky worked the final three innings and yielded just one unearned run on one hit while fanning four.
 
The Rangers and River Hawks conclude their series with a single game on Sunday starting at noon.