ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Haverford College baseball team jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings and despite a ninth inning rally by host Muhlenberg College, held on for a 6-4 win Friday afternoon.
Haverford (12-8, 4-2 CC) pounded out 13 hits and surprisingly just one for extra-bases. Louis DeRosa collected three hits while scoring two runs. Jake Kaden, Jeff Butera and Charlie Carluccio all had two hits apiece. Butera drove in three of the Fords six runs.
Butera brought home two runs in the top of the first when his bases loaded single to center plated DeRosa and Jake Chaplin. In the third, Butera drove in his third run with a ground out to short.
Bobby Bailey had a hand in both of Haverford's runs in the fourth. With runners on first and second and one out, Bailey's single through the left side of the infield scored Mike Galetta. Bailey eventually came around to score on a passed ball to give the Fords a 5-0 lead.
Haverford tagged Mules starter Phil Cresta (3-2) for five runs in 5.1 innings. Meanwhile, Bryan Henrick (2-1) put up zeroes through the first three innings for the Fords while allowing just three baserunners. Muhlenberg (10-10, 4-2 CC) plated a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, but Henrick retired the side in order in the sixth, but was pulled after recording one out in the seventh. Henrick allowed just three earned runs while striking out three in 6.1 innings.
Dan Feller came on from the bullpen to induce an inning-ending double play. He went on to retire the side in order in the eighth before running into trouble in the ninth.
In the top of the ninth, Jeremy Zoll's singled plated Kaden for an important insurance run. Feller gave up hits to Jesse Nusbaum and John Muha to start the bottom of the ninth. Feller bared down to retire the next two batters, but the second out was a ground out which brought home Nusbaum. After Feller issued a walk to Dan Fisher to put the tying run on base, Carluccio was called on to get the final out. Carluccio got Jeff Puklin to fly out to right field to end the game and record his third save of the season.
The Fords return home Saturday to host McDaniel College in a twin bill. The first game gets underway at 12:30 p.m.