Senior Robbie Hopes provided the highlight of Muhlenberg baseball's final game of the 2017 season, which ended in a 9-2 defeat at DeSales.
 
The Mules (16-21) jumped out to a lead thanks to Hopes' solo shot in the first inning before the Bulldogs (22-14) used a five-run second inning to get ahead and added to their lead in the third, fifth and eighth as well. Hopes (pictured above) smacked his long ball over the left-center fence for his sixth home run this season. The homer was the final hit of his career, giving him 11 long balls, 105 hits and 60 RBIs in his four years.
 
Senior Thomas Yohe drove home Muhlenberg's second run of the game with a base hit over the third baseman's head in the fourth inning. Sophomore Chris Grillo, who walked and stole second to start the rally, came around to score on Yohe's final hit of his career.
 
Senior John Icaza notched a single for hit number 169 of his career, tying him for sixth place on the Mules' all-time hits list. Icaza closed his four seasons at Muhlenberg having finished in the top 10 in school history in hits, runs scored (108), doubles (32), home runs (12), extra-base hits (48), runs batted in (93), total bases (245) and stolen bases (45).
 
Junior Charlie Lekkas struck out a career-high four batters over two-plus innings of relief. Freshman Matthew D'Ambrosia struck out the side in his one inning of work as well.
 
Muhlenberg in 2017 set school records for best team fielding percentage (.956) and most strikeouts for pitchers (254) in a season.