2018 Baseball Seniors vs. Susquehanna 4/22/18
Dan Gittis
1
Susquehanna SUS 12-18, 6-6 Landmark
5
Winner Elizabethtown ETOWN 11-15, 5-5 Landmark
Susquehanna SUS
12-18, 6-6 Landmark
1
Final
5
Elizabethtown ETOWN
11-15, 5-5 Landmark
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Susquehanna SUS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 0
Elizabethtown ETOWN 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 X 5 9 1

W: Garvey, Mike (2-3) L: Ryan Beckwith (0-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball emerges with series finale over Susquehanna on Senior Day

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Derek Manning hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the seventh and Mike Garvey struck out a career-high nine in a gem as Elizabethtown honored its seniors with a 5-1 victory over Susquehanna on Sunday afternoon at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium.

The Blue Jays moved into a tie with Susquehanna for the fourth and final Landmark postseason spot with the win, and while E-town has played two fewer league games, they now hold a crucial 2-1 head-to-head record against their foes from Selinsgrove.

Garvey and River Hawks starter Ryan Beckwith went toe-to-toe in a must-have game for both teams. Susquehanna found a way to manufacture baserunners, but almost every time Garvey or his defense squashed the threat.

Seemingly a target for the ball, Garvey was belted with the first of two line drives on a ball hit by Tom Giaimo in the top of the third that loaded the bases with two outs. E-town's (11-15, 5-5 Landmark) junior right-hander got Ben Burman to fly out to right fielder James Kantner on the first pitch he saw to end the inning.

The Blue Jays took advantage in the bottom of the third, when the red-hot Anthony Knight smoked a two-out triple to the gap in right. Colby Smith, one of four seniors honored during a pregame ceremony, followed with a single back through the box for a 1-0 lead. It marked his 118th career run batted in, five shy of tying Chris Romig's program record 123.

Susquehanna tied the game on a Justin Miller RBI single in the fifth and was threatening again in the sixth with the bases loaded and two down. Garvey rolled a huge double play on catcher Peter Yarem. E-town shortstop Nick Lorenz stepped on second and fired to first to keep the game even, as the Blue Jay faithful roared their approval.

Garvey breezed through the top of the seventh in order with a pair of strikeouts, including Miller for his eighth of the day --a new career-high. As both hurlers surpassed 100 pitches, it was Beckwith who cracked first.

The River Hawks' (12-18, 6-6) southpaw got Taggart Hess to go down swinging to start the bottom of the seventh, but subsequently walked Knight and Smith to end his outing. Reliever Will Carey couldn't escape the jam. His first pitch to Manning was blasted off the fence in left, as Knight scored easily and Smith slid home safely under the tag of Yarem to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 advantage.

Things got worse for Susquehanna later in the inning when Mike Christy bluffed going to second and Manning stole home to make it 4-1.

Garvey buckled down and sidestepped a lead-off walk in the eighth to get the next three River Hawk batters. He finished off Nick Berger swinging for his ninth strikeout.

Hess put an exclamation point on the win with a two-out solo homer to right on a 1-2 offering from Carey in the bottom of the eighth and Anthony Lippy needed just nine pitches to get through the ninth in order.

Nick Lorenz and Manning had two hits apiece for the Blue and Gray in an all-around well played game by both teams. The Blue Jays outhit the River Hawks 9-6 and both pitchers were dealing. Beckwith countered Garvey's career-high strikeout total with eight in 6.1 innings, despite taking the loss. No Susquehanna batter had more than one hit against Garvey or Lippy.

Knight went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three walks, and though his 13-game hitting streak ended in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, the Lancaster native has now reached base safely in 18 straight games dating back to March 5.

Prior to Sunday's game, the baseball program took time to recognize seniors Lippy, Lorenz, Smith and Brennan Snyder on the final weekend home game of the season. The Blue Jays are still scheduled to play at Boyd Stadium three more times this spring.

Elizabethtown will make up a non-conference game at Franklin & Marshall tomorrow at 4 p.m., before making up a conference doubleheader against Scranton at home on Tuesday beginning at 12:30 p.m.
 
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