BALTIMORE - The fifth-seeded Haverford College baseball team (22-16) was edged in an elimination game in the Centennial Conference tournament by second-seeded Dickinson (27-11), falling by a 6-5 final at Babb Field on the Johns Hopkins campus Saturday morning. Dickinson used a four-run rally in the seventh and a run in the eighth to storm back and stun the Fords, who held a 5-0 lead going into the sixth inning.
Mike Rabayda was masterful in his final start for the Fords, keeping Dickinson without a hit until an infield single from Dylan Posencheg in the fifth inning. He finished with 6.2 innings pitched, striking out five and scattering four hits without allowing an earned run.
Offensively, Daniel Rosman, Kyle Beach and Matt Dahl each had a pair of hits to pace the Fords. Dahl had two RBI.
After a scoreless inning from Rabayda, Beach doubled into left field to lead off the top of the second and Jonny Flieder walked with two down. After a wild pitch, Dahl then laced a base hit through the left side, plating a pair of runs as the Fords struck first for a 2-0 lead against Peichel.
Rabayda set the Red Devils down in order in the bottom of the second, and the Fords then mounted another rally against new Dickinson pitcher Charlie Bien in the top of the third. Daniel Rosman reached on a single and Harry Genth walked ahead with a one-out single up the middle from Beach that plated Rosman to extend the Fords' lead to 3-0. After Wallis walked to load the bases, Flieder was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and the Fords pulled ahead 4-0.
Rabayda worked around a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the third as the Red Devils loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit but were unable to push across a run as strong infield defense from the Fords helped their senior ace escape any damage.
Haverford added a run in the fifth inning as Chuck Norton singled and stole second. With one out, Jack Wallis punched a single into right field and took second after a misplay in the outfield. Norton came around to score the fifth Haverford run of the afternoon.
Rabayda allowed an unearned run in the sixth, as two errors put a runner into scoring position with two out. Josh Markley then added a single through the left side of the infield to put the Red Devils on the scoreboard. Rabayda was able to wiggle out of trouble by inducing a pop up to right field to end the frame.
Dickinson mounted a rally in the seventh to spell the end of the day for Rabayda. After an error and a pair of infield singles loaded the bases for the Red Devils, Ryan Thompson notched an RBI groundout to put Dickinson within three. Rabayda hit Matt Torres, and Drew Doyle was then summoned from the bullpen. A wild pitch brought home the third Dickinson run before back-to-back bases loaded walks tied the score at 5-5.
Haverford had a strong chance in the top of the eighth as Kendrick Curry II walked with one out and stole second. Johnny Flieder absolutely laced a pitch back of the middle that Dickinson pitcher Joey Sangiulo was able to snag on a line, catching pinch runner Luke Treese off guard to secure a double play.
Dickinson pulled ahead with a single run in the eighth, as Posencheg deposited a single into left field. After a sacrifice bunt, Luke Gartland walked and Thompson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Matt Torres lifted a sacrifice fly to score the go-ahead run.
With one out in the ninth, Mauro DeCillis tagged a single into center field but a hard hit liner from Rosman was caught by Kenny Tagelareni for the second out. Harry Genth stepped up with a runner on first and engaged Sanguiolo in an epic battle, fouling off pitch after pitch and narrowly getting ahead of a pitch before Sanguiolo was able to induce a strikeout looking to send his team forward in the CC bracket.
In 2024, Haverford again finished with a 20+ win season and returned to the Centennial Conference tournament for a 15th consecutive season. The Fords posted their most wins in a single season since the 2016 team that won the Centennial title. While Haverford will certainly miss the leadership and strong presence of seniors Rabayda and Beach, the Fords will figure to be right in contention for a Centennial title in 2024 with a stalwart junior class stepping on the field for their senior seasons and big group of young contributors looking to take another step forward.