Box Score

With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Muhlenberg baseball cleanup hitter senior Nick Kennedy stepped to the plate.  With catcher Brett Rosen on first, an extra-base hit would likely be enough to score Rosen and give the Mules the lead.

Kennedy did not hit a laser beam into the outfield, though. Instead, he pushed a slow dribbler in front of the plate and busted it down the first base line. His hustle forced an errant throw from Swarthmore's pitcher, and allowed Rosen to score the go-ahead run.

The Mules (10-13, 5-6) would add an insurance run in the eighth, and the bullpen would slam the door shut in a 6-4 Centennial Conference win.

"Nick just gave a good, hard 90. That's what coach tells us to do. Anytime you hit a ball like that you never know what it's going to do … it could take a weird hop. You just have to go out and give it your all, and that's what he did. He set a good example for the rest of us," fellow senior Nick Plinio said of what ended up being the game-winning play from Kennedy.

The Mules' first four runs all came as part of a second-inning rally that featured three walks, two singles and two fielder's choices. RBIs were collected in the second by Thomas Yohe, Danny Usewick, Kurt Johnson and Michael Giordano.

"That's our team every now and then. When we aren't hitting the ball hard we need to string runs together any way we can. We've done a better job this year than in years past of that, and we'll take it any way we can get it," Plinio said.

The lone extra-base hit Muhlenberg did have came from Plinio, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. In the eighth, the senior right fielder got a good pitch to hit and drove what looked like a home run to deep left center. Muhlenberg's dugout, as well as Plinio, was surprised when the ball didn't clear the wall but slammed off of it, but the senior coasted into second with a loud double nonetheless. He would later come around to score on a single by Johnson (also 3-for-4, 2 RBIs).

"Off the bat it felt pretty good. I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it, which I did. That's exactly what we needed. To get guys on base and in scoring position to score runs, so I'll take that any day," Plinio said of his double.

Troy Elias started on the mound for Muhlenberg and turned in a quality start. The sophomore went six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits (seven singles) while walking only one Swarthmore (16-9, 5-6) batter.

Elias got some major help from his defense in the fourth inning. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Elias forced a popup to second for the first out, then was the benefactor of a double play, when centerfielder Jimmy Cody caught a fly out and then fired home to Rosen, nailing a Garnet runner who was trying to tag up (pictured above).

Christian Ferlan was masterful in relief. Inheriting two runners in the seventh, Ferlan got five straight outs before handing the ball over to closer Phillip Balseca, who earned the save.

"He's come in, and this year especially has given it everything he's got. He's been lights out for the most part," Plinio said of Ferlan. "Anytime you can get your starter to give you a good outing like that and then have guys out of the 'pen that can give you good innings, you pretty much have it locked up."

With the CC season more than halfway over, games like this one can help Muhlenberg climb its way into a playoff spot. Entering Tuesday, four teams, including Muhlenberg and Swarthmore, were tied and two games behind the fifth and final playoff spot.

Now that the weather seems to be turning in the right direction, the Mules will look to get into a rhythm playing games on a regular schedule and once again return to the playoffs.

"Obviously you don't like the rainouts and the snowouts, but everyone has been taking the right approach all year in the field and at the plate to put the team on their back and try and get us some wins," Plinio said.