Monday, March 9, 2009

MORAVIAN’S BRENDAN CLOSE & DAVE ZUBIA NAMED LANDMARK CONFERENCE BASEBALL
PITCHER & PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MADISON, NJ --- Freshman pitcher Brendan Close (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) of the Moravian College base team has been named the Landmark Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week while freshman shortstop Dave Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has been honored as the Landmark Conference Baseball Player of the Week for their performances last week.

The duo helped the Greyhounds post a 5-2 record at the Russmat Tournament in Winter Haven, Florida, last week.

Close, pictured at right, tossed two games for Moravian and earned the win in a 21-10 win over Johnson & Wales University in the first game of the trip.  Close was perfect through the first five innings and allowed a run on a hit and two walks while tying the school record with 13 strikeouts in six innings of action after being lifted due to a pitch count. Close also tossed a 4-3 loss to Anna Maria College on the final day of the trip, allowing four runs, just two earned, on seven hits and a walk with ten strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.  For the week, Close had a 1-1 record with a 2.03 ERA, 23 strikeouts, three walks, eight hits and five runs allowed, only three earned, in 13 1/3 innings of action.

Zubia, pictured at left, hit .667 for the week, going 14-for-21 at the plate with 12 runs scored, three doubles, three RBIs, an .810 slugging percentage, four walks, two hit by pitch, a .741 on-base percentage and four stolen bases.  In the field, Zubia had three putouts and 14 assists in 17 chances at shortstop while playing all 51 innings during the trip.

Moravian, which is 6-4 on the year, will return to action on Wednesday, March 11th in a non-conference game versus Albright College as the Greyhounds open their 2009 home season at Gillespie Field at 3:30 p.m.