HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (15-15, 6-5 CC) fell in the first game of a home-and-home series with Muhlenberg (13-16, 2-9 CC) on Tuesday afternoon at Kannerstein Field, as the Mules used a stellar fifth inning in route to a 14-4 road victory.
The Mules struck first, plating a run in the second inning. After Muhlenberg's Caleb Tereska singled to center field and stole second base, Thomas Rodgers sent one to left field for an RBI single to open the scoring.
Things remained calm for both teams in the next two innings. Muhlenberg would score again in the fourth, but aside from the score, the Fords matched the Mules, making solid contact and registering hits. Through four innings, the Mules only recorded one more hit than the Fords (five to four). Haverford just couldn't make the most of its opportunities.
August Williams started the game on the mound for the Fords and had himself a decent showing. In 4.1 innings. Williams allowed five hits and struck out five. However, costly mistakes from the Fords in the fifth inning put the game out of reach.
Riley Grohowski took over pitching duties in what would be a long rest of the inning for the first year hurler. Everything in the frame seemed to go Muhlenberg's way as the inning began with two hit-by-pitches and a walk. Before the Fords could blink, Haverford was faced with bases loaded and one out. Tereska singled for the Mules to bring in two runs, and Virno later singled to left field for two RBI. After a few more fielding errors and hit-by-pitches, the Fords left the inning with Muhlenberg notching nine runs on just four hits.
Now down 14-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Haverford eventually got on the board after Zach Landry doubled to right field to score Anthony Runfola. In the seventh inning, a Jack Wallis sacrifice fly and a Luke Smith double gave the Fords two more runs. In the eighth inning, Zach Becker's solo home run ended the game on somewhat of a high note, as Haverford scored in three consecutive innings before going blank in the ninth.
Extra base hits came from Smith, Landry, Buck, and Daniel Rosman. Haverford finished with ten hits, but most of the issues came from the team's five errors and seven runners left on base.
Baseball continues Centennial Conference action on Friday, traveling to Muhlenberg for the second game of the home-and-home series. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.