DALLAS, Pa. - The Arcadia University baseball team saw its 2021 season come to an end in Saturday's MAC Freedom Semifinals at top-seeded Misericordia, falling in the first two games of the best-of-three series, 5-4 and 11-1. The Knights finish the season with a 21-12 record in their first season in the MAC Freedom, marking the program's sixth-straight season with at least 20 wins.

#4 ARCADIA 4, #1 MISERICORDIA 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Knights looked poised to put the top-seeded Cougars on their heels in the top of the first by loading the bases with two outs as Alex Madera worked a leadoff walk before Mattson and Smolen were hit by pitches. However, Misericordia starter Tom Jacob was able to evade the early trouble by inducing an infield pop up to end the inning.

-Misericordia manufactured a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to break the scoreless tie as back-to-back singles to open the frame came around to score on a run-scoring groundout and a wild pitch. The Knights looked to answer back in the top of the third by loading the bases with one out following Ryan Smolen's opposite field single and a bunt single from Justin Massielo. However, the Cougars squashed the rally by inducing an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.

-Hunter Curley settled in to hold the deficit at two with scoreless frames in the third and fourth, but three-straight Misericordia singles in the fifth plated another run for the Cougars before the Knights escaped the jam by rolling a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

-After the Cougars plated two more in the sixth to extend their lead to five, the Knights' lineup looked to stage a late rally against the Misericordia bullpen. Smolen drew a leadoff walk and Massielo was hit by a pitch before Zachary Sekelick legged out a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Emilio Pallante fell behind in the count 0-2, but fouled off several tough pitches to eventually work the count full before lining a 3-2 fastball into center to plate Smolen with a sacrifice fly.

-Nadell Booker turned in his second-straight scoreless inning on the mound in the eighth to keep the deficit at four and the Knights resumed their rally in the top of the ninth. Madera lined a leadoff single to right-center ahead of a walk to Trevor Mattson to bring Connor Cheeseman to the plate, who launched a towering, three-run home run to bring the Knights within one. The Cougars countered with a change on the mound to bring in the lefty Valenti, who was able to get the final two outs and seal the 5-4 victory.

KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Madera: 2-4, BB, R, SB
-Mattson: 2-3, R, BB
-Cheeseman: 3-Run HR in 9th

KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Curley: 5.2 IP, 5 R, 2 K
-Booker: 2.1 IP, H, 0 R, 3 K

ARCADIA 1, MISERICORDIA 11
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Cougars got out to a quick start offensively with the game's first run in the bottom of the first before striking for seven in the second on six hits and an error. The Knights got on the board in the top of the third by plating a run on a double play ball, but Misericordia answered with three more runs on four hits in the home half of the frame.

-Zach Steiger, Drew Pecorilli, and Jeremy Sabathne combined to throw 5.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen while striking out three. Sabathne allowed only one baserunner to reach in the final outing of his collegiate career and struck out one in his last inning as a Knight.

KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Massielo: 3-4, 2B
-Sekelick: 2-3

KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Steiger: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R
-Pecorilli: 2 IP, H, 2 K
-Sabathne: 2 IP, 0 H, K