ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Elizabethtown College baseball team earned a split with Catholic to open the four-game weekend series, dropping game one 4-1 before taking game two 9-8 Saturday afternoon at Kevin Scott Boyd Field.
With the split, the Blue Jays are now 7-7 overall and in conference play. The Cardinals are now 8-4 on the season and in the Landmark.
Senior Andrew Fisher accounted for four runs scored while going 4-6 at the plate. Classmate JT Thompson went 1-2 in game two with a double, three runs scored, and an RBI. Junior Joey Thomas finished game two 1-3 with a double and two RBI.
GAME ONE: CATHOLIC 4 ELIZABETHTOWN 1
The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Junior Peter Giombetti blasted a two-run home run to left-center field.
Etown managed to get one run back in the bottom of the inning as sophomore Ben Watson stepped into the box with runners on first and third. Watson reached on a fielder's choice, bringing Fisher around to score, cutting the Cardinals' lead in half (2-1).
That was all the Blue Jays would muster and Catholic would add two more runs, taking game two 4-1.
Sophomore Shane Haffner (0-1) tallied his first start of the season, allowing two runs on one hit and striking out one. Junior Eric Sipling and sophomore Zach Silfies combined for six innings of relief, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out four.
Sophomore Tucker Alch (3-0) went the distance for the Cardinals, allowing one unearned run on five hits and striking out six.
GAME TWO: ELIZABETHTOWN 9 CATHOLIC 8
Tied at six in the bottom of the fifth, Etown took advantage of a throwing error by the third baseman, scoring three runs with two outs. After Bednar reached on the throwing error, Fisher singled up the putting runners at first and second. After a walk by Thompson loaded the bases, Bednar came around to score on a passed ball followed by Fisher who scored on a throwing error by the catcher, making the score 8-6.
Senior Arley Shepherd then brought around the eventual winning run, knocking a single to left-centerfield, plating Thompson for the 9-6 lead.
Catholic managed to get a run back in the top of the sixth and seventh, but the Blue Jays shut the door, earning their seventh win of the season, 9-8.
Senior Matt Barton (1-0) earned his first win of the season in relief, pitching 1 1/3 innings and allowing one run on no hits, and striking out two. Watson recorded his first save of the season, giving up one run on one hit and striking out two.
Senior Chris Kelly (1-1) took the loss for the Cardinals going three innings, allowing three unearned runs on two hits and striking out one.
Etown heads to Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 18 to finish the four-game series with Catholic. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:30 p.m. For updated spectator policies from the other Landmark schools, please visits the conference's spectator policy landing page.
