ST DAVIDS, Pa. - For the second consecutive day, the Haverford College baseball team (10-1) fell just short in a wild midweek thriller, as the Fords fell 10-9 to Eastern (5-17) after erasing a 9-1 deficit with a huge rally in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the score at 9-9. The Fords have proven time and time again this season that no deficit is too large to overcome, with crooked numbers in the late innings against MIT and an offensive outburst at Immaculata earlier in the month, but Eastern had the last laugh in another unpredictable contest.
Haverford sent Collin Lewis to the hill, as the first-year logged 3.1 innings pitched allowing three earned runs and striking out five. Haverford added its first run in the third inning, as Jonny Flieder came in to score on an error after swiping third base, knotting the score at 1-1 early.
Eastern struck for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third, and tacked on another on a homer from Camden Angell to lead off the fourth inning. Jack Sampson took over for Lewis on the hill, but the Eagles added two more runs on RBI singles from Mark Cruser and Evan Barks to take a 5-1 lead. A three-run fifth frame against Mitchell Pagano extended the Eastern lead to 8-1, and Sean Cottrell launched a solo homer in the sixth to put the hosts up by eight at 9-1.
After Jin Lee scattered six hits and one walk over 3.2 scoreless innings of relief work, calming the Haverford bats, Eastern went back to the bullpen for first-year lefty Kyle Jackson in the seventh. Kyle Beach singled and Zach Landry was hit by a pitch before Zach Crampton lifted a three-run homer into left center, cutting the Eastern lead to just 9-4. After one out, Zach Becker doubled into center field and took third on a balk. A bunt single plated Becker, ending the day for Jackson as Scott Lavin took over in relief. The Fords kept the line moving against Lavin, with Rosman advancing to second and third on wild pitches before Flieder punched a well-placed single through the infield. When all was said and done in the top of the seventh inning, Haverford was right back in the contest, down by just three at 9-6 and with all the momentum in the visitors dugout.
After a scoreless bottom of the frame from Colin Lewandowski, Haverford went back to work on the offensive end almost immediately against Joziah Trevino in the eighth. Kyle Beach launched a solo homer to trim the lead to two. Trevino recorded two quick outs after that solo shot, but Kendrick Curry II doubled ahead of a single from Becker that cut the Eastern lead down to just one. After Rosman logged a single up the middle, Genth notched an RBI base hit, plating Becker to tie the contest at 9-9 as Haverford came all the way back from the brink.
Matt McHale doubled into left field to start the bottom of the eighth, and Ethan Goldstein took over on the hill for Lewandowski. After a successful sacrifice bunt moved McHale to third base, a balk was called on Haverford, allowing McHale to score the go-ahead run without the benefit of a ball in play.
Zackary Bollinger got the ball for the top half of the ninth, and nailed down the save to deny the Fords. Kyle Beach walked with one out, but the contest ended as pinch runner Jordan Shand made a valiant attempt to get into scoring position, but was thrown out with a fantastic throw from Eastern senior catcher Jason Hall.
The Fords earned production up and down the order on Wednesday, with Rosman, Curry, Beach, and Becker all having three-hit days Wednesday. Crampton added three RBI in the contest on his titanic homer. Haverford logged 17 hits to just nine for the Eagles.
Next up for the Fords is the start of conference play, with Haverford taking on No. 6 Johns Hopkins in Baltimore on Saturday, April 1. The Centennial doubleheader is slated to begin at noon.