Things could not have started much better for the Muhlenberg baseball team against The College of New Jersey.

In the top of the first inning, senior Ryan Riccio led off the game by drawing a walk. Sophomore Mason Mehling followed with a single to right, and the next batter, junior Brendan Hughes hit a three-run homer. It was the second home run of the season for Hughes (pictured above center) and the fifth of his career, and it gave the Mules a 3-0 lead three batters into the game.

But Muhlenberg managed only two more hits the rest of the doubleheader, and the Lions (8-0), who came in as one of only six Division III teams that had played at least five games without taking a loss, went on to sweep, 11-3 and 12-0.

Sophomore JJ Foti had the lone hit for the Mules (3-7) in the nightcap, breaking up the no-hit bid with one out in the sixth.

Freshman Charlie Siper pitched a scoreless inning in the second game, and classmate Frank Kern struck out 6 in 4.1 innings of relief.