HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (15-16, 5-6 CC) proved victorious over Muhlenberg (13-17-1, 6-5 CC) in a wild, back-and-forth, Centennial Conference thriller at Kannerstein Field Tuesday afternoon, prevailing 13-12 on senior Zach Becker's walk-off RBI single.
In another solid offensive showing, Haverford rapped out 17 hits, including three players recording three-hit days. Harry Genth, Jack Wallis and Zach Crampton each had three-hit days, while Becker joined Chuck Norton and Daniel Rosman in recording two each.
The Fords struck for four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead over the Mules. Genth helped key that rally with a two-run homer to right field, and Becker later drilled a ground-rule double to straight away center field to put the Fords up 3-0. Haverford added its fourth run of the frame as an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Crampton easily plated Becker, who had earlier stole third base.
Muhlenberg pulled a run back in the top of the second, as Ryan Riccio sent a grounder up the middle that skipped off the second base bag and into center field, allowing Brendan Hughes to score the first tally of the contest for the visitors.
Norton added a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the third, extending the Haverford advantage to 5-1. The Mules climbed to within a single run with a rally in the top of the fourth inning, tagging Sam Cohen for three runs. Hughes reached on a leadoff single, and Riccio later plated a run on an RBI groundout. Jake Swerdloff stepped up to the dish and launched a towering two-run homer to left field, putting his squad back within one at 5-4 in favor of Haverford.
Haverford extended its lead back to 7-4 in the fourth, and proved to need that insurance as Riccio notched a two-RBI single that put the Mules back within one run. Haverford added a run back in the fifth, but Muhlenberg had a response, with Christian Schwarz and Brendan Hughes each lacing RBI hits to knot the score at 8-8 in the sixth.
Colin Lewis took over on the hill for the Fords, and induced a flyout from Caleb Tereska, but Tereska was credited with the sacrifice fly as Schwarz scored to put the visitors ahead at 9-8. Muhlenberg extended its lead to 11-8 with a rally in the eighth inning. Schwarz doubled with one out, and Jonathan Toth reached on a dropped third strike. Hughes punched a single through the right side, and Tereska added an RBI fielder's choice to put the Mules up 11-8.
Undaunted, Haverford went right back to work in the eighth. Genth got on base via a single to center, and Jack Wallis then unloaded on a two-run homer into left field to pull Haverford back within one. Landry reached on an error, and Norton then sent a single into center ahead of Crampton's single through the left side of the infield to tie the score at 11-11.
Muhlenberg briefly took the lead back once more in the ninth inning, as Swerdloff knocked his second homer of the contest, but Haverford had one final rally in the tank. Rosman singled through the right side, before a potential double-play grounder to third was bobbled, allowing Genth to reach for the second runner of the inning with no one out.
Wallis tied the score with his single through the left side of the infield, and with one down, Becker stepped up and punched a single past the third baseman to seal the win for the Fords, as his teammates mobbed him between first and second.
Lewis did well in relief, scattering three hits and striking out five in just 3.2 innings without surrendering a walk. He took home his first career win with that effort.
For the Mules, Hughes moved from first base to pitcher after a stellar turn at the dish, but was tagged with the loss after 17 pitches on the hill. Sam Cohen logged the start for Haverford, striking out five in 4.2 innings of work. Ryan Friesen got the start for Muhlenberg, striking out five and walking three.
The Fords will now travel to Allentown to wrap up the home-and-home series with the Mules at 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Baseball will wrap up the penultimate week of the regular season by hosting Franklin & Marshall for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22 as action resumes at Kannerstein Field.