In a battle for first place in the MAC Freedom, it was the Bulldogs of DeSales who came out on top, 9-8, in 10 innings over Misericordia, on a beautiful Friday afternoon at Tambur Field. DeSales improves to 16-11 overall and 10-2 in conference play to leapfrog the Cougars in the standings, who fall to 10-3 and 18-8 overall.
The 3-4-5 combination of Tyler Holzapfel, Santo Guinta and Steve Weisensee went a combined 10-14 at the plate with six doubles, a triple, six runs batted in and five runs scored to provide most of the offense for the Cougars.
Ian McCole got the start on the mound for MU and went 4.1 innings, giving up four earned runs and striking out five. Elliot Forde allowed two earned runs and struck out two in 3.2 innings pitched and Kyle Melahn struck out one in his one scoreless inning of relief. Zach Mason suffered the loss after giving up a run in the tenth inning while striking out two.
After getting through the top of the first unscathed, thanks to a line drive unassisted double play to Holzapfel at first base, the Cougars wasted no time taking the lead in the bottom of the inning. After Parker Abate walked, Holzapfel and Guinta followed with a triple and double, respectively, to take a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the second, but Misericordia extended their lead to 6-1 in the third. Kenny Jarema was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and Abate followed with a double down the left field line. Holzapfel brought both of them home with a double down the left field line to put the Cougars up 4-1. After Guinta singled through the right side to set up first and third, Weisensee doubled to left to score Holzapfel. Shane Hughes wrapped up the four-run inning with an RBI infield single to the second baseman.
After DeSales came back with three runs in the fourth, Weisensee ripped another RBI double to get a run back in the bottom of the inning.
The Bulldogs cut the MU lead back to two in the fifth, but the Cougars responded with a run in the sixth to push their lead back to three. With Conor Smith having to leave the game in the first inning due to an injury, Guinta moved behind the plate, meaning the Cougars gave up the designated hitter for the second game in a row. Forde came up with two outs and runners on first and third and helped himself with an RBI single through the right side to extend his hitting streak to two games.
However, Misericordia was unable to hold on to the three-run lead as the Bulldogs scored a run a seventh and hit a two-run home run in the eighth to tie the game at eight.
Neither team was able to score in the ninth, so the game headed to extra innings. In the tenth, DeSales took the lead on a single and three walks, including a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run. Jarema led off the bottom of the tenth with a single down the left field line, but Konner Schneider, the MAC Freedom leader in ERA, got the next three batters out to secure the win for the Bulldogs and take game one of the series.
These two teams will play again tomorrow in Center Valley, with a doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00.
