HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (17-12, 7-5 CC) completed a season series sweep of Muhlenberg on Friday in front of the home fans at Kannerstein Field, prevailing 9-5 with six runs in the final three innings to turn away the Mules (7-23, 1-11 CC).
Riley Grohowski tossed a solid seven innings to pick up the win, scattering eight hits and allowing five runs while striking out three. Haverford had four batters with multi-hit games, led by Kendrick Curry II and Mauro DeCilis, each with three-hit days. Chuck Norton and Jonny Flieder each contributed two hits.
The Fords scored in each of the first three innings. Chuck Norton hit a one-out double in the bottom of the first, advancing to third on a passed ball before Jack Wallis's RBI single opened the scoring. In the second, Haverford added another run off Muhlenberg starter Luke Foley as Flieder and Curry each singled. Although Matt Dahl grounded into a double play, Flieder scored on a subsequent wild pitch after moving to third on the grounder.
In the top of the third, a walk to Jonathan Toth and a sacrifice bunt by Nick Belli set the stage for a Ryan Riccio infield single and a Nick Whelan RBI groundout, trimming the Haverford lead to just one. However, Harry Genth walked, stole second and third, and scored on a single from Kyle Beach, restoring the Fords' lead in the bottom of the frame.
Grohowski encountered trouble in the fourth. With one out, Marc Quarrie hit a double down the left-field line, and with two down, Spencer Hobson's single into right field brought in a run. The next batter, Toth, launched a two-run homer, putting the Mules ahead 4-3.
In the following inning, Brendan Hughes hit a solo shot, putting the visitors ahead 5-3 going into the sixth. Daniel Beagle replaced Foley in the sixth, and Haverford capitalized on the opportunity against the new pitcher.
Curry singled to lead off the frame, and Dahl was hit by a pitch before DeCillis loaded the bases with a bunt single. Rosman walked, bringing in a run, to pull the Fords back within one, and Norton then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score.
After another strong frame from Grohowski, the Fords went back to work in the seventh. Flieder doubled off the third-base bag, and Curry punched a single into right field to give the Fords the lead. DeCillis then reached on a perfectly-placed bunt single, bringing in pinch-runner Luke Treese, extending the lead to 7-5.
Aidan O'Sullivan twirled a 1-2-3 eighth, and the Fords added insurance in the bottom of the eighth. Genth, Wallis, Beach, and Flieder were each hit by a pitch, bringing in a run, and Dahl walked with the bases loaded for the ninth run of the contest.
O'Sullivan continued his flawless relief turn with another perfect frame to nail down his first save of the season. Treese ended the contest with a spectacular diving catch in left field, denying Nick Whelan along the foul line to end things in dramatic fashion.
Haverford now faces a quick turnaround, heading out to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for a doubleheader at Franklin & Marshall. The contests with the Diplomats are slated for noon and 3 p.m. as the race for the Centennial Conference playoffs heats up heading into the final week of the regular season.