PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Junior Jordan Draude pushed home senior Steven Zellers on a squeeze play with one out in the bottom of the 11th to give the Arcadia University baseball team a 5-4 non-conference victory over visiting Muhlenberg College Wednesday at Erny Field. The Knights improved to 12-8-1 with the win, while the Mules fell to 9-11.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Muhlenberg committed a series of errors in the first that staked Arcadia to a 2-0 lead, which was extended to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth on senior Connor Arsenault's RBI single to center that plated junior Justin Chasmar. Muhlenberg got on the board in the top of the fifth on Jon Capra's RBI single to right, and the Mules took their only lead of the game with a three-run eighth inning. Each of the first three Muhlenberg batters reached base and came around to score; Matt Glubiak scored on a ground out, Chris Grillo scored on Matt Riebesell's single to center, and Eric Reitmeyer scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Mules in front.
 
The Knights tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth as freshman Bryan Gillen beat out an infield single to shortstop, advanced to third on sophomore Drew Coisson's single to right, and scored on Chasmar's sac fly. The game went to extras, and Zellers found himself on third with one away in the inning after driving a single up the middle to start the inning. Chasmar was intentionally walked to set up a potential inning-ending double play, bringing the Knights' leading hitter to bat in Draude, who had just hit his team-leading fourth homer of the season less than 24 hours earlier. Instead of swinging for the fences Draude dropped down a perfect bunt that allowed Zellers to slide home with the game-ending run.  
 
NEAR MISSES: Both teams just missed potential game-changing home runs in the 10th. Robbie Hopes' bid for a solo homer was caught by Zellers just before he fell through the fence in deep left field in the top of the inning, and freshman Luke Hohenstein sent a ball down the line in left that just missed wrapping around the foul pole before grounding out to third in the bottom of the frame.
 
ON THE HILL: Sophomore Connor Laigiae evened his record at 2-2 after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts in his seventh outing of the year. Senior Michael Nessel didn't factor in the decision after yielding one unearned run on one hit in his 5.1 innings of work, which saw him carry a perfect game into the fifth. Christopher Bunero fell to 1-2 after allowing one run on two hits in his 2.1 innings of relief. Tim Hoffman got the start for the Mules, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits in his four innings.
 
ARCDIA AT BAT: Draude finished the day 3 for 6 with one double, and RBI and a run scored, while Chasmar finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Arsenault and Coisson were both 2 for 5, and Zellers was 1 for 2 with a run scored after entering the game in the top of the seventh.
 
MUHLENBERG AT BAT: Riebesell collected half of the Mules' hits in the game, going 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Capra was 1 for 4 with an RBI, while Glubiak was 1 for 3 with a run scored.