READING, Pa. – The Haverford College baseball team scored eight times in the seventh inning, but it was not enough as it fell to the Alvernia University Crusaders, 19-17, at Angelica Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Five different Fords (5-15) had multi-hit games, highlighted by freshman Spencer Sohmer's four knocks. Sophomore Yannick Villanueva set a career high with three hits and two runs scored while junior Jamie Ulrich tied his career best with two hits and a team-high four RBI. Senior Marley Randazzo crossed home plate three times, the most in his career while Sohmer also dashed home three times.
A Sohmer RBI single gave the Fords a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, but the Crusaders (18-8) threw up a crooked number in the bottom of the second. A three-run double by Dan George and three-run home run by Cameron Coons helped Alvernia to a nine-run outburst in the frame.
Haverford began to creep closer with two runs in the third with RBI singles from Villanueva and Ulrich. The offense continued with four tallies in the next inning. Sohmer's RBI infield single made the score 9-4. An error would add two more to the Fords' total before Ulrich registered a sacrifice fly for the visitors' seventh run of the contest.
George ripped his second three-run double of the game in the bottom half of the fourth to swing the momentum back in the Crusaders' favor, putting them up 12-7. Alvernia had another big inning with six runs one inning later, making the score 18-7. After two runs by the Fords, a RBI double by the Crusaders' Chris Burns set the score at 19-9 as the teams headed into the seventh inning.
The Fords put together another rally in the seventh inning. The first four runners reached base including a Villanueva RBI single. After Ulrich's second sacrifice fly of the game, sophomore Thomas Vollaro doubled to right which allowed freshman Mike Schmandt to touch home. Two batters later, a wild pitch scored Villanueva. Later in the inning, two errors by Alvernia scored three runs for Haverford. Senior Casey Fox doubled home the 17th run for the Fords with two out.
After three hours and 50 minutes of game action, Haverford's comeback ran out of daylight as the game was called after the top of the seventh because of darkness. The Fords had 17 hits in the game and tied their season best with seven steals.
Sohmer now has eight hits in his last 16 at-bats with six runs scored in his last five games. Schmandt has hits in six of his last eight contests and is hitting .500 (10-for-20) with seven RBI, three runs scored and five stolen bases.
Vinny Case led Alvernia with three hits while George had a game-high six RBI and Coons had five RBI in the win.
Head coach Dave Beccaria's squad will now welcome Muhlenberg to Kannerstein Field this Friday with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, Haverford travels to McDaniel for a doubleheader beginning at 12:30 p.m.