ST. DAVIDS, Pa.- It took eight pitchers and nearly three hours, but Eastern University Baseball hit its way to a 13-4 win over visiting Immaculata University. Nick Moeltner came on in relief and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first to pick up his second win of the year. The junior right-hander struck out a pair while allowing two hits in three innings of work.

With the team opening its conference slate against Wilkes on Friday, the Eastern coaches intended to use a number of pitches against the visiting Mighty Macs (3-6). The Eastern pitching depth made an early appearance as starter Drew Shaw hit a batter and walked the bases full. Moeltner induced a pair of pop-up outs and a routine grounder to short to get out of the inning.

The Eagles rode the momentum of the top of the first into the second as Greg DeSarro knocked in Brandon Spall from second base with a two-out single. With the knock to left-center, the junior designated hitter extended his team-best hitting streak to ten games. 

The Eagles picked up three more runs in the bottom of the second. Mark Royer started the rally with a double down the left field line. Eric Smith bunted him to third and Dillon Schwartzer reached on a hit batsmen. The two base-runners executed a perfectly timed double steal to plate the first run. Schwartzer then scored on a bases-loaded balk, and Scott Renauro drove in the fourth run of the game with his first of two sacrifice flies on the day.

Two runners reached against Moeltner in the third, but the junior got out of the jam with a strike out and a routine grounder to second.

"We wanted to get Nick a few innings today," Eastern skipper Matt Midkiff remarked, "and he did a great job in his three innings. He was very efficient with his pitches, and he forced their hitters to hit his pitch."

The Eagles opened up the game with a four-run fourth. Smith laced a ground-rule double just inside the bag at third for an RBI and Schwartzer picked up his fourth RBI of the year with a long fly ball. André Butler then belted a two-run homer over the left field fence for his second home run of the year.

Lucas Bremmerman held the Mighty Macs at bay through the fourth and fifth, and the Eastern advantage reached 11-0 in the fifth after Royer walked, Smith singled, and Schwartzer yanked a triple down the left field line to knock in a pair. Spall dropped a single into short center to drive Schwartzer.

"We had some really productive at bats from the guys in the bottom half of the order today," Midkiff said, "It seemed like Royer (3-for-4) and Smitty [Smith] (2-for3) were always on base, and Dillon [Schwartzer] has really come around at the plate.

Immaculata scored an unearned run off Barry Jost in the sixth and took advantage of a pair bases-loaded walks to score three in the seventh. The Eagles finished the scoring in the bottom of the seventh when Butler doubled home Schwartzer and Renauro hit another deep fly ball for an RBI.

The Eagles return to action on Friday afternoon at Wilkes University. They will finish the series with the Colonels with a home doubleheader on Saturday. The first pitch for Saturday's games will be at noon. Fans unable to make it out to St. Davids will be able to follow the action on Eagle Vision.