PUNTA GORDA, Florida -- 9-1-2 hitters Darrin Shirk, Joey Rydzewski and Alex Manner paced the  Heidelberg University baseball team in a doubleheader sweep on Monday. Facing Moravian College, Heidelberg rallied for two runs in the ninth inning to walk off with a 4-3 victory, then took the nightcap, 7-5. The wins push the Student Princes to 4-1 on the season.

KEY STAT LINES

CF Darrin Shirk: 3-for-4, four BB, 2B, 3B, SB, three outfield assists.

SS Joey Rydzewski: 4-for-8, 2 BB, 6 SB.

RF Alex Manner: 4-for-10, 5 RBI

GAME ONE | Heidelberg 4 Moravian 3

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Student Princes plated a pair of two-out runs. With runners on the corners, Matt Psychas raced home on a wild pitch, narrowly sliding in ahead of the tag. On the play, Parker Fronk moved to second. He scored on a basehit to center by Kane Bateman.

In the ninth, Rydzewski ripped a one-out single to center. With two outs, he stole second before Adam Hershberger walked. Psychas followed with a four-pitch walk to load the bases. On a 3-2 pitch, Fronk was hit in the hand, forcing in the tying run. Evan Long played the role of hero, lining the game-winning single into center as pinch-runner Ryan Marasti crossed the plate.

HU starter Alex Simun went seven strong innings, limiting the Greyhounds to three runs on seven hits. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, only allowing a run, thanks in large part to Shirk. Shirk, a noted bocce ball enthusiast, nabbed two runners at the plate on back-to-back singles, with Joe Walton applying the tag.

Zach Doran (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win in relief. He allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.

GAME TWO | Heidelberg 7 Moravian 5

Heidelberg got out to a 3-0 lead. The first run came on a double steal in the third, Hershberger swiping second and Rydzewski scampering home. In the fourth, three straight two-out walks loaded the bases for Manner, who delivered a basehit up the middle.

After Moravian tied the game with two in the fourth and one in the fifth off of starter Cameron Deemer, Heidelberg scored twice in the sixth. Shirk singled, stole second, and scored on a basehit by Rydzewski. The speedy Rydzewski appeared to be picked off, but beat an errant throw to second and moved to third. He came in to score on another RBI hit by Manner.

Undaunted, the Greyhounds scored single tallies in the sixth and seventh to tie it.

In the eighth, Manner delivered again. Shirk started with a line drive double to left center, then mvoed to third on a bunt basehit by Rydzewski. Rydzewski promptly stole second before Manner ripped a line-drive single just past a diving shortstop. Both runners scored on the play.

Closer Cory Jacobs picked up his second save of the season, retiring six straight in the eighth and ninth.

Marc Ochoa picked up his first collegiate win, going 2.0 innings and allowing two runs in relief of Deemer. Deemer went five innings in his debut, allowing three runs on four hits.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

Stolen bases continue to be a major weapon for the Student Princes. HU stole nine more on Monday, bringing the season total to 22. Conversely, catcher Joe Walton threw out both would-be base stealers on the day.

A patient approach at the plate yielded 15 walks on Monday. Coupled with three hit batsmen, HU earned 18 free bases against Moravian. HU batters averaged 3.92 pitches per plate appearance on the day.

In the past two days, three Student Princes have picked up their first collegiate wins -- with Doran and Ochoa joining Brady Ansara on Sunday.

QUICK HITS WITH FITZ

Head coach Chad Fitzgerald on Game One: "I think their starting pitcher (Rhett Jacoby) had a pretty good day ... We had a hard time figuring him out for a while ... We tried to stay aggressive on the basepaths and finally pieced something together ... They gave us some free bases and we came up with some big hits, especially Evan in the ninth."

Fitzgerald on the pitching staff performance: "I think the big story of the day is the young arms we've run out there in the past few days that have all performed really well."

UP NEXT

The Student Princes return to the South County Regional Park for a Varsity/JV doubleheader. The twinbill starts at noon. Live stats for the varsity game will be available at BergAthletics.com.