FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Haverford College baseball team (9-3) defeated Merchant Marine (3-7) by a final score of 8-3 in their eighth and final game at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida.
Riley Grohowski was magnificent on the mound, as the junior tossed 6.1 innings, striking out five, allowing two hits and giving up just three runs (two earned) in the quality start.
Luke Treese, Matt Dahl and Mauro DeCillis each had two-hit games for the Fords, who pounded out 10 hits. Beach and Dahl both drove in a pair of runs, while Jack Wallis, Treese, and Beach all scored two runs.
Following two scoreless frames from both sides, Haverford broke the score open in the third inning. After Daniel Rosman was hit by a pitch, he stole second and eventually came around to score off a passed ball to make it 1-0 Fords. Luke Treese then walked, and advanced to second base after Kyle Beach was plunked by a pitch. Treese crossed the plate after Chuck Norton reached first base on an error from the shortstop, followed by Beach crossing the plate on a Matt Dahl RBI single to give the Fords a 3-0 lead.
The Mariners pulled one back in the fourth, after Tyler Reistetter came home on a wild pitch to trim down the Scarlet and Black advantage to 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Reistetter reached first base on a fielder's choice, plating Brice Garner, with USMMA trailing just 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Haverford went back on the offensive in the bottom of the fifth, when Beach smoked a double to the outfield, scoring Treese and Jack Wallis to give the Fords two big insurance runs in a 5-2 advantage.
Dahl then followed up Beach's hit with another RBI single, scoring Beach, to make it 6-2 in the fifth. The Fords then loaded up the bases after Kendrick Curry II was hit by a pitch and Mauro DeCillis climbed aboard first base with a single. Pranav Rane added an RBI sacrifice bunt as Haverford took a five-run lead at 7-2 heading into the sixth inning.
After a quiet sixth inning from both teams, Merchant Marine tacked on another run in the seventh, after Reistetter grounded out to first base, scoring teammate Ben Bridges. Up 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Dahl scurried over to first base off an error by the shortstop, to score Wallis as the Fords went up 8-3 with one inning left.
After coming on in the sixth inning for Grohowski, sophomore Ethan Goldstein was able to shut the door on the Mariners, as Haverford claimed a 8-3 victory over Merchant Marine.
Following the conclusion of The Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, the Fords will now fly back to the familiar confines of Southeastern Pennsylvania, with the next game on the slate being a home game at Kannerstein Field against No. 10 Rowan on Tuesday, March 19 at 3:30 p.m.