The Muhlenberg baseball team knocked out the reigning Centennial Conference pitcher of the week in the first game of its doubleheader at Gettysburg, but a five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth dealt the Mules a heartbreaking 9-8 loss. Gettysburg completed the sweep with a 5-1 win in the second game.

Trailing 3-1 after five innings in the opener, the Mules (15-19, 6-8) exploded for six runs, with nine consecutive batters reaching base. After a walk, hit batsman and single by senior Andrew Rava loaded the bases, junior Robbie Hopes singled in one run and freshman Matt Riebesell followed with a two-run single, giving Muhlenberg a 4-3 lead and prompting a pitching change by the Bullets (23-12-1, 9-4-1).

The new pitcher walked his first two batters to force in another run, and back-to-back singles by sophomore Eric Reitmeyer and freshman Chris Grillo brought in two more to make the score 7-3.

After Gettysburg scored a run in the bottom of the eighth, Rava (pictured above) drove in a run with his third hit of the game in the top of the ninth to give Muhlenberg a four-run lead again. But the Bullets combined six hits with an infield error in the bottom of the inning to walk off with the win.

Junior John Icaza went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and scored three runs. Grillo finished with a pair of hits.

Sophomore Timmy Pilrun pitched into the eighth inning, allowing only three earned runs.

Gettysburg scored single runs in each of the first four frames to jump on top in the nightcap. Icaza went 2-for-4 and scored the Mules' lone run after leading off the sixth with a double.

The three doubles gave Icaza 14 for the season - two short of the school record. He and Grillo became the seventh set of Muhlenberg teammates to record 50 hits in the same season.