The Muhlenberg baseball team got off to a quick start in its final tuneup before opening Centennial Conference play, but Penn State Abington broke the game open with an eight-run inning and went on to win, 14-3.

The first four batters reached base for the Mules (7-10), leading to three runs. After freshman Robert Cappadona led off with a single, junior Chris Grillo brought him in with an opposite-field triple on an 0-2 pitch.

Grillo scored on a passed ball as junior Matt Riebesell walked. Sophomore Billy Brittingham, who snuffed out a Penn State rally with an unassisted double play to end the top of the first, followed with a double that sent Riebesell to third, from where he scored on an infield out.

Muhlenberg managed only four baserunners the rest of the game, however. The Nittany Lions (8-6), who came in tied for 21st in Division III in runs scored per game, went ahead with eight runs in the fourth and tacked on six runs in the final three innings.

Cappadona singled again in the fifth to raise his team-leading batting average to .386.

One of six Mule pitchers, senior Sam Kasten tossed two scoreless innings. Freshman Truman Devitt did not allow an earned run in his inning of work.