HAVERFORD, Pa. - A five-run bottom of the first pushed Haverford College's 23rd-ranked baseball team into the early lead Sunday afternoon at Kannerstein Field, but visiting Muhlenberg College scored nine unanswered runs in the middle innings to steal a 9-6 Centennial Conference decision from the Fords.
Nick Ott's two-run home run highlighted the Haverford (20-6, 5-5 CC) half of the opening inning as the Fords sent 11 batters to the plate and collected four hits and three walks against Muhlenberg (16-13, 4-6) starting pitcher David Anderson, who didn't make it out of the third inning after surrendering another run.
Matt Liscovitz's one-out single off Anderson in the third turned into Haverford's sixth run after Liscovitz stole second then came all the way around to score on Mike Tentilucci's single to right-center field. A walk to the next batter ended Anderson's day and brought Nick Gies to the mound for the Mules.
After the Fords battered Anderson for six runs (one unearned) off six hits and four walks, Gies quieted the Haverford bats over the next five and two-thirds innings as he surrendered just one hit and one walk while striking out a pair.
Fords starter Brett Cohen worked out of a mild jam in the first, and a bases-loaded jam in the third before surrendering three unearned runs to Muhlenberg in the fifth inning, Cohen's last on the mound.
The Mules opened the sixth inning by loading the bases off reliever Jonny Black, then got to George Hatamiya, who took the ball from Black, scoring five more runs to complete the come-back and take the lead for the first time in the game.
Gies (2-0) earned the win for the Mules and Ryan Rechten picked up the save, his fourth, by sitting down the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Liscovitz and Casey Fox both had two hits, including a two-RBI double from Fox in the first, for Haverford which collected only seven hits against three Muhlenberg pitchers.
Cohen lasted five innings giving up three unearned runs on seven hits and three walks while fanning two. Black faced three batters in the sixth giving up a hit while walking two. Hatamiya (2-1) was shackled with the loss as he allowed all three inherited runners to score and gave up two more runs on two hits and a pair of walks.
Max Gerard pitched the final three innings for the Fords and allowed an unearned run on two hits and two walks. He also struck out a pair of Mulhlenberg batters.
Next up for Haverford is another conference game as Ursinus College visits Kannerstein Tuesday afternoon for the first of a split-date doubleheader with the other game coming on Friday at Ursinus. In between, the Fords will step out of league play to square off against Eastern University on Wednesday afternoon at Kannerstein.