Box Score

Junior Adam Pracher pitched five strong innings and junior Robbie Hopes hit his fourth home run of the season as the Muhlenberg baseball team moved into first place in the Centennial Conference with a 5-2 home win against Haverford.

With the win, the Mules (14-12, 5-1) completed their first season sweep of the Fords (17-9, 6-2) - who entered the week undefeated in the CC - since 2006. That was also the last year they started CC play with a 5-1 record.

Pracher (pictured above), making his second start of the season with Muhlenberg beginning a stretch of five games in three days, allowed four hits and just one run in his five innings to improve to 2-0 on the season. All three of his strikeouts came in the second inning, two of them with a runner on third, and he stranded runners in scoring position in three other innings.

Senior Andrew Oakes followed Pracher and allowed one unearned run and two hits in three innings. Junior Christopher Bunero faced the minimum three hitters in the ninth for his second save of the season.

The Mules ended the last two innings on double plays. The one in the eighth came on an appeal play at second, with the Haverford runner called out for leaving early on a would-be sacrifice fly, nullifying a run.

Muhlenberg batted around to break a scoreless tie with three runs in the third. With two on and two out, junior John Icaza doubled to right field to bring in the first run. Senior Andrew Rava followed with a two-run single.

Junior Eric Reitmeyer, who started the third-inning rally, doubled with one out in the fourth and scored his second run when freshman Chris Grillo doubled to deep left.

In the fifth, Hopes (pictured at left, smiling) crushed a 2-2 curveball over the fence in left-center.

Freshman Matt Riebesell reached base in all four of his plate appearances, with two hits and two walks.