Crusaders Blow Past Bullets

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The weather cooperated for the first time this week, and the Susquehanna University baseball team was ready to take advantage, earning a 21-9 win over Gettysburg College in a game rescheduled from Wednesday.

The Crusaders picked up 20 hits, with all but one starter getting at least one. They also went through the batting order in two different innings.

Susquehanna struck first as John Lunardi (West Chester, Pa./Henderson), who reached on an error, came home on a Chris Price (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Glades) double. The Crusaders added four in the third inning on three hits, including a triple from Brian Ahearn (Avon, N.J./Red Bank Catholic).

The two teams traded runs through the third and top of the fourth, then Gettysburg added another in the fifth to make it 5-3. The Crusader bats heated up in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs on five hits. Price had a two-RBI double and Don Kirkland (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) added two more RBIs with a triple.

Gettysburg responded with three runs in their half of the sixth to stay within six, but Susquehanna put the game away in the top of the eighth with eight runs on six hits, four walks and a hit batter. Fifteen Crusaders batted in the inning.

One more run would cross for the Crusaders in the ninth as Kyle Wertman (Havertown, PA/Haverford) doubled to score Tyler Reichard (Danville, Pa./Danville).

Kirkland led Susquehanna at the plate, going 5-for-6 with two doubles, a triple, and four RBIs. Price went 3-for-5 with three doubles and five RBIs. Ahearn drove in four runs on two hits, including a double and triple. Reichard was 2-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Zack Brigman (Yardville, N.J./Hamilton West) was 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored and Wertman was 2-for-6 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs.

Kevin Riordan (Morristown, N.J./Delbarton School) went six innings for the win (2-1), giving up six runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out one. Keith Needham (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) pitched the finals three innings, giving up three runs on four hits to earn his first save of the season.

The Crusaders play their first home games of the season when they host Scranton in a Landmark Conference doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. The two teams will also face off in Selinsgrove for one game on Monday.