Despite impressive performances by two freshmen making their first career starts on the mound, the Muhlenberg baseball lost a pair of close games to Emerson, 7-5 and 4-3 in extra innings, on its first day of competition in Florida.

Rookies Jake Lebovitch and Isaac Spiegel combined to allow only two earned runs in 10 innings. Lebovitch (pictured above) pitched five three-hit innings and left with a 3-1 lead in the opener. Spiegel made his first career appearance in the nightcap and struck out four in his five-inning stint.

Another freshman, Justin Kimmel, pitched out of a runner-on-second, nobody-out jam in the sixth inning of the second game in his collegiate debut.

Junior Chris Grillo provided the big blow in the first game, belting a bases-clearing triple with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mules (3-5) a 3-1 lead. It was the 100th hit of Grillo's career.

Emerson went ahead 5-3 with four runs in the top of the sixth. Muhlenberg got a run back in the bottom of the inning when junior Jon Capra scored on a sacrifice fly after hitting a double - hit second extra-base hit of the game. 

The Lions (2-3) added two big insurance runs in the top of the seventh. The Mules loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning and scored one run on a bases-loaded walk, but the game ended on a pop fly.

Freshman Robert Cappadona went 3-for-4 in the second game. Muhlenberg went ahead 2-1 in the top of the third on two unearned runs, but Emerson answered with two of its own in the bottom of the inning.

Down to their final four outs, the Mules tied the score in the top of the sixth on a single by sophomore Brenden Weiss. Emerson walked off with an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.

Junior Matt Riebesell drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in each game.