HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (10-7) suffered a defeat in a wild, 27-run contest on Tuesday at Kannerstein Field, as the seesaw battle eventually swung in favor of visiting Arcadia (13-7) with a final score of 16-11.
Arcadia pushed two runs across in the top of the first inning as Anthony Bruno singled against opener Sam Cohen, and Matt Donchez then doubled down the left-field line. Kevin Wheeler delivered a sacrifice fly before Justin Massielo singled into right for a 2-0 advantage.
The Fords tied the score in the bottom of the frame against Vinny Versaci, as Harry Genth was on base for a towering homer from rookie Luke Treese, evening the score at 2-2. Haverford took a 4-2 lead in the third with an RBI groundout ahead of a passed ball, but the two sides exchanged scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth innings before the offensive floodgates opened.
Arcadia rallied to tie the score in the sixth as a throwing error, an RBI groundout, and a sacrifice fly were responsible for giving the visitors a 5-4 lead. Haverford then put up a four-spot with a two-out rally. Kyle Beach walked with the bases empty, and Norton then singled to center field ahead of a walk to Curry to load the bases. Matt Dahl then punched a towering double into the right-center field gap, clearing the bags. Pranav Rane then singled into center for the fourth run of the inning as Haverford regained the lead at 8-5.
The top of the seventh saw Arcadia grab the lead right back. Massielo walked and Solomon Griffith singled ahead of an Emilio Pallante double that scored a run. Tommy Ajjan then doubled into left to bring home two, and the Knights regained the lead on a sacrifice fly from Bruno. Donchez later connected on a two-run homer for an 11-8 lead.
Haverford wasted no time getting those runs back, with Genth earning a hit by pitch and Treese walking ahead of a momentous blast from Wallis that tied the score at 11-11. After each side twirled a scoreless frame in the eighth, a five-run ninth from Arcadia proved to be the difference in the thriller.
Ajjan led off the inning with a homer, and after Gabe Diaz was hit by a pitch, Eli Savitt dropped a single into left field. Donchez walked to load the bases, and Wheeler delivered a sacrifice fly ahead of a two-run double from Massielo. Pallante then added a single to center that served as the 16th run of the day.
Wallis reached on an error to begin the ninth, but Arcadia's Cam Nebel was able to work around trouble to seal the win with two strikeouts in the final frame.
Treese, Wallis, and Dahl each had three RBI contests for Haverford, while Norton, Dahl, and Rane had multi-hit games. Griffith paced all players with four hits in six at-bats, while eight different Knights players had multi-hit games.
Colin Lewis was the bulk innings pitcher for Haverford on Wednesday, and he fired 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs and a strikeout. Luke Hinkle was credited with the win for Arcadia after a scoreless eighth set the stage for the visitors' rally.
Haverford now returns to action tomorrow, with another non-conference contest at Widener slated for 3:30 p.m. in Chester, Pa.