Box Score READING, Pa. - The Arcadia University baseball team dropped a conference game at Alvernia University, 11-5, Friday afternoon despite carrying a 4-3 lead entering the fifth inning. The Crusaders (24-10 / 13-6 CC) added eight runs in their final four at-bats to pick up the win and the conference victory. With the loss, the Knights fall to 7-24-1 overall and 5-14 in conference play. 

Arcadia put up four runs in the top of the third to make it a 4-1 ballgame. A single from freshman Jordan Draude got things started, followed by an error put senior Taylor Schon (Scotch Plains, N.J.) on, and a walk from senior Jay Zehring (Manassas, Va.) made it bases loaded with only one out. The Knights got their first run of the game from sophomore Michael Nessel (Stuart, Fla.) after a fielder's choice plated Draude. Three consecutive two-out walks by Alvernia forced another two across and following a pitching change, the Crusaders still could not find the strikeout, hitting senior Elliott Freeman (Bangor, Pa.) to push sophomore George Pagan (Old Bridge, N.J.) home and make it a three run lead. 

The Knights' lead would be short-lived however, as the Crusaders responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs to cut the Knights' to just one. Another three runs in the following inning gave Alvernia their first lead of the contest and got all the runs it would need for the game. Then for the third consecutive inning, the Crusaders tacked on runs in the sixth inning to go up by four.

Arcadia would draw life in the top half of the eighth after junior Andonis Yiantsos (Voorhees, N.J.) belted a two-out double and scored after a single off of the bat of Draude. Draude would steal second to get into scoring position but would be stranded there. 

Alvernia added on three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, which put the game out of reach for Arcadia. 

Draude finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Yiantsos and Zehring each contributed base hits and a run scored for the Knights. 

Freshman starter John Lloyd (Reading, Pa.) suffered the loss on the hill after going 4.1 innings and giving up six runs on eight hits and four walks. Sophomore Craig Mellinger picked up the win in relief for the Crusaders in his 2.1 innings of one-hit baseball. 

The Knights will return home tomorrow for their final home games of the season when they host Alvernia for a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Erny Field. It is also Senior Day tomorrow and the Knights will honor its Class of 2014 in between games.