FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Haverford College baseball team (1-4) dropped a pair of games on Monday afternoon, falling to Alfred State (4-11) before suffering a wild 10-inning defeat to Hiram (1-5) in a contest that saw a momentous seven-run comeback ultimately fall just short.
Alfred State 4, Haverford 3
The Haverford College baseball team dropped a tightly contested 4-3 decision to Alfred State on Monday morning at Terry Park Stadium. The Fords struck first and later rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning, but the Pioneers pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh to secure the victory.
Ryan Field led the Haverford offense with a two-RBI double, while Jackson Sgro added a hit and scored a run. Miles Prusek recorded a hit and swiped two bases, and Tommy Belman also crossed the plate while stealing a base. On the mound, the Scarlet and Black pitching staff combined for 10 strikeouts, including five punchouts in four frames from the starter Jack Couture.
Haverford opened the scoring in the first inning. Sgro cross home plate when Prusek swiped second, coming home on the throw, to give he Fords an early 1-0 lead.
Alfred State answered in the third inning, as Jordan Hughes singled to left field to bring home Frank Grad and tie the game at 1-1. Later in the frame, Zach Young came around to score on a passed ball, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 advantage.
The Pioneers added another run in the fifth inning when Christian Morrison was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Logan Lutz and extending the lead to 3-1.
Haverford responded in the sixth inning to even the score, as Mauro DeCillis and Belman both came around to score when Field ripped a double down the right-field line, tying the contest at 3-3.
Alfred State regained the lead in the seventh however, as Gavin Lasko came around to score on a groundout by Matty Eygabroad, putting the Pioneers ahead 4-3.
The Fords were unable to answer in the final two innings, as Alfred State reliever Zackery Nelson closed out the victory.
Hiram 9, Haverford 8 (10 Innings)
The Haverford College baseball team staged a dramatic late comeback but ultimately fell just short in a 9-8 extra-inning loss to Hiram on Monday afternoon at the Terry Park Sports Complex.
Miles Prusek and Jackson Sgro paced the offense for Haverford, as Prusek finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Sgro added two hits and three RBIs. Will Schroen recorded a hit and scored a run while drawing a walk, and Jack Phiel crossed the plate once and worked two walks as the Fords drew nine free passes as a team. On the mound, Alex Jenkinson tossed six innings allowing just seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out four.
Haverford struck first in the third inning when Luke Treese reached and later scored on a single to right field from Prusek, giving the Scarlet and Black an early 1-0 advantage.
Hiram responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning with a Andrew Fawve two-RBI triple to center field to that plated Luke Snider and Tyler Fernandez, pushing the Terriers in front 2-1.
The Terriers extended their lead in the fourth inning when Ben Yoder brought home Lex Lear with a groundout, making the score 3-1.
After several quiet innings, the Fords chipped into the deficit in the seventh. Jack Phiel scored on a groundout by Sgro, trimming the Hiram lead to just 3-2.
However, Hiram erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take what appeared to be firm control of the contest. An RBI single from Fawver highlighted the inning before Brady Isgro delivered a two-run double and Ethan Ryan followed with an RBI single, stretching the Terriers' advantage to 8-2.
However, it was the Scarlet and Black mounted a stunning rally in the top of the eighth. Sam Schaeffer came home after Schroen worked a bases-loaded walk, and Phiel followed with another bases-loaded walk to score Cole Roman. Moments later, Sgro lined a two-RBI single to left field, bringing home Schroen and Mauro DeCillis to cut the deficit to 8-6. Prusek continued the rally with an RBI single that scored Tommy Belman, and moments later Sgro crossed the plate on a balk to complete the six-run inning and tie the contest at 8-8.
Both teams were held scoreless in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.
After Cody Horvath snuck Hiram out of a bases loaded jam, the Terriers capitalized in the bottom of the 10th, when Snider delivered a walk-off single down the right field line to bring home Fernandez and seal the 9-8 decision in favor of Hiram.
Haverford will look to bounce back on Wednesday, March 11, as the Fords will challenge Pitt-Bradford at 9 a.m.
