READING, Pa. – The Albright baseball team trailed just 1-0 heading into the eighth inning of Monday's non-conference game with Moravian, but a five-run eighth for the Greyhounds helped Moravian to a 7-3 victory.
Nick Dinnocenti allowed just an unearned run in his seven innings as the Lions' starter, and he stranded six men on base in those seven innings. In the first, he left the bases loaded on a ground out. He worked around a two-out double in the fourth to keep the game scoreless, and he allowed just one run after an Albright error in the fifth.
The Lions had a chance to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth.
Bryan Brubaker was at third after a bunt single, and
Kyle Gantert stood at second after reaching on a fielder's choice and stealing a base. A fly out from
Jimmie Gentry ended the inning, though.
Dinnocenti got some help from the defense in the sixth to keep it 1-0. With a man at second and one out, a sinking liner into center field looked destined to expand the Moravian lead. Center fielder
Jeff Yordy made a diving grab, picking the ball out of the air just before it hit the grass. He gathered himself and turned the catch into an easy double play to end the inning.
Moravian made it 6-0 with its five runs in the eighth inning, but Albright answered with two runs after two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Joe Suppa walked, and
Logan Pennypacker doubled him home with a shot to the gap in right center to make it 6-1. Pennypacker scored on
Tanner Brescancine's single to right center to make it 6-2.
Moravian got one of those runs back in the top of the ninth to make it 7-2, but Albright put up a fight in its last at-bat.
Will Tokarski led off with a single, and
Austin Roth walked after one out. They moved to second and third on a passed ball, but a borderline strike three call pushed the Lions to their final out. Gentry followed with an RBI infield single to make it 7-3. That put the potential tying run in the on-deck circle, but a ground ball to shortstop ended the game.
Gentry and Brescancine each had two hits, and Roth walked twice. Gentry had a two-out double in the third to go with his ninth-inning RBI single.
Albright returns to action at home Wednesday against Gwynedd Mercy at 3:30 p.m.
