Box Score

In a game dominated by home runs, it was a ball that traveled about 50 feet and two clutch pitching performances that made the difference as the Muhlenberg baseball team defeated Dickinson, 13-12, in its final home game of the season.

The two teams combined for seven home runs in the game, with the Mules tying a school record by hitting five of them. And two players accounted for all five: Sophomore John Icaza belted three to tie a school and Centennial Conference record, and senior Nick Plinio added two.

"Everyone is happy to get a win," said senior Jimmy Cody. "I don't even know what to say. It was a crazy game."

That says it all. It was 12-12 when Cody led off the bottom of the eighth with a bunt single to the right of the pitcher's mound.

"I saw the kid was playing back and I wanted to take advantage of it by getting on base and getting into scoring position," said Cody. "It's just putting the ball in play. Anything can happen when you do that and you've got guys on base."

Cody advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run when senior Nick Kennedy dropped a single into right field.

The Mules (13-17, 7-9) turned the ball over to senior closer Phillip Balseca in the ninth, but a bloop single and two bunts loaded the bases with nobody out. Senior third baseman Chris Manfredonia got a force at home plate on a slow chopper, and Balseca struck out the next batter. With the bases still loaded and two outs, senior Kurt Johnson fielded a ground ball at short and threw out the batter at first to end the game.

"Once I got the first out, I knew I had it because any ground ball could have been a double play," said Balseca, who moved into a tie for third on the Mules' all-time list with his 11th career save. "Once I got the strikeout, anywhere it went I knew we could have gotten an out. I went through that reasoning and it calmed me down."

Balseca's efforts made a winner out of junior Andrew Oakes, who pitched out of a jam of his own. The Red Devils (11-21-1, 5-10-1) had runners on second and third with nobody out in the seventh before Oakes struck out the second, third and fourth hitters in the lineup. Oakes fanned four in his 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, helped out by a nice play by Johnson, to earn his second win in as many outings this year.

Dickinson set the tone for the day by scoring four runs in the top of the first. The Mules responded in the bottom of the inning on a three-run inside-the-park home run by Icaza, who circled the bases when the Dickinson centerfielder ran into the fence while chasing his long drive and could not get up to field the ball.

Plinio's first home run (his team-leading fifth of the season) capped a three-run third and tied the game at 6-6. Dickinson went up 9-6 with three in the fourth, but two-run homers by Icaza - this one over the fence in left - and Plinio (pictured at left) in the bottom of the fifth gave the Mules their first lead at 10-9.

The Red Devils played long ball in the next half-inning, hitting two home runs of their own to go back in front, 12-10. But in the bottom of the inning, Icaza hit his most impressive drive yet, a two-run shot to center, tying the score at 12.

Icaza, who did not have a home run all season coming into the game, tied the record of three home runs in a game set by Steve Faella against Kenyon in 1997. He also added a sacrifice fly for a total of eight RBI, tying the school mark acheived three times previously.

"That was probably the best game of my life. I've never had a multi-home run game," said Icaza. "I knew the wind was blowing out, so naturally I was trying to get something under my swing and just push it out there."

Icaza had one more at-bat but did not get much of a chance for his fourth home run, as he was issued a semi-intentional walk.

Icaza and Plinio became only the second pair of Mules to hit multiple home runs apiece in the same game. In 1980, John Oberle (whose daughter is a senior on the Muhlenberg women's lacrosse team) and Kerry Wentling both went deep twice in a 9-1 win against Moravian.

"It was pretty incredible to watch. It was great to see my teammates do well, and I'm excited they hit the homers," said Cody, one of 21 Mule seniors who got to walk off their home field for the final time with a memorable win.

"It's bittersweet to leave the field but it's a great way to end," said Balseca.