ST. DAVIDS, Pa.- There would be no work for the Eastern bullpen. Despite pitching on short rest, Eastern University sophmoore Nick Moeltner went the full nine in a critical 3-0 Freedom Conference home win over Manhattanville College. Moeltner allowed just four hits and struck out seven in picking up his second complete game win of the season.

"Nick was really good today," said Head Coach Matt Midkiff, "he had command of all four pitches and he hit almost all his spots and really only had to work out of one jam. On a day where we needed a big performance, this might be the best we've seen."

Moeltner and Manhattanville starter Chad Wallace established a quick pace for the game from the outset. Though the Eagles put runners on in the first three innings, the Valiants had the best chance of the early going in the top of the fourth. The opportunity began innocently enough as Moeltner fell behind Manhattanville slugger Chris Nardozzi 3-0 with two outs. After fighting back to 3-2, Nardozzi flicked a single through the middle of the infield. John Bucci then jumped on a first pitch with a deep drive to left-center for a ground rule double. Moeltner then escaped the jam with a ground ball to short.

"Nick's two-seamer was really working today." Midkiff said, "he was able to get ground ball outs through-out the day." Fifteen of the 27 outs for the visitors came on routine ground balls in the infield.

Derek Ryan hit a one-out triple in the fifth to create a good scoring chance for the home side. After André Butler was hit by pitch, Joel Rios delivered a clutch single to right-center. Ryan trotted home and Butler scored on the play when the throw from the outfield went into the Valiant dugout. Rios advanced to third on the play. Rios was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a medium length fly ball from Scott Renauro.

On a day that ended well, the Eastern coaching staff still had concerns about several base-running issues that cost the team chances throughout the day. "It just shows," Midkiff said, "how mportant pitching is. We ran into a lot of outs on the base paths, but when Nick gives up one hit and two baserunners in the last five innings, you are going to have a chance."

Moeltner allowed a single through the hole in the right side of the infield in the sixth, but he struck out the side toend the rally.

Eastern picked up an important insurance run in the seventh. Mark Royer fought off a good pitch from sumarining reliever Joe Donnelly and singled to right. Kristian Cortizo, who had doubled earlier in the game, hit a shot up the middle that Valiant second baseman Alex Braverman snared with a brillant diving stop. His flip to short beat Royer to the bag by the slimmest of margins. Derek Ryan moved Cortizo to third with a single that slipped just inside the right field line.

After falling behind in the count 0-2, Butler fought off several pitches before shooting an outside pitch off Nardozzi at first base for a bad-hop RBI single. Nardozzi chased the ball down the line and fired a strike to second to get Butler trying to take the other base.

With his pitch count rising, Moeltner needed a quick eighth in order to have a chance to finish, and he faced the minimum to get back to the dugout with fewer than ten pitches in the inning.

"We looked at it in the seventh," Midkiff said, " He was on short rest, but he was really efficient today. He did not have any extended innings, and we said if he got through the eighth pretty quickly we would give him the chnace to finish."

Moeltner ended the gem with an effiicient ninth. After getting the first two batters, he walked Nardozzi for his only walk of the day and endd the game with another ground ball out.

Moeltner's stellar effort is the third solid start of the weekend for an Eastern staff that held Manhattanville to six runs in three games.

The Eagles (7-11-1, 3-6 Freedom) are back in action with a Tuesday doubleheader against Valley Forge Christia. The win gives Eastern their first Freedom Confernece series win of the year. They return to Freedom Conference action at King's on Friday.

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