ST. DAVID'S, Pa. – Immaculata University scattered four hits that produced five runs, but fell 14-5 at Eastern University on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action.
Immaculata (0-5) began the game with its first two batters, Patrick Boulware and Rick Gehman, reaching on errors, before Boulware stole third. Eastern pitcher Nike Moeltner then hit the next two Mighty Macs' batters in Matt Hardy and Kris Hazlett, scoring Boulware. TJ Warner then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that plated Gehman for Immaculata's second run.
Eastern responded with five runs in the bottom half of the first on four hits, one error and left one runner on base.
Immaculata struck again in the top of the third as Hardy hit a solo home run that made the score 5-3. It was the first Immaculata home run in the program's history.
The Eagles restored their three-run edge with a single tally in the fourth, and Eastern continued its damage in the fifth and sixth with three and four runs, respectively. Eastern led 14-3 heading into the eighth inning after adding one run in the seventh.
Immaculata rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth as Andrew Dietrich and Boulware walked to start things off. Gehman then singled to load the bases for Hardy, who had a sacrifice fly to right field to score Dietrich. It was Hardy's second RBI of the afternoon. Two batters later, Warner singled to score Boulware for Warner's first RBI of the season.
Immaculata starter Kevin Leitzel (0-2) went 4.1 innings allowing seven earned runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked just one. Leitzel gave way to Richard Cusic who finished out the fifth inning and started the sixth, allowing three earned runs on three hits. Ernell Harley Jr. came in for Cusic in the sixth and pitched the final two-plus innings for the Mighty Macs. He allowed just three hits and one earned run.
Eastern starting pitcher Moeltner (1-1) gave up just two hits and one earned run to pick up the win.
Immaculata will be back at Eastern on Saturday for a 1 p.m. single game against the Eagles.
