Misericordia University Athletics

The Misericordia University baseball team lost a tough 4-3 decision at DeSales in the opening game of the MAC Freedom championship series, Friday.
 
Owen Cordner had a double and a triple and drove in two runs for the Cougars while Joe Peters had a hit and scored twice.
 
Owen Daminger had a hit and scored a run.
 
Misericordia took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Shane Patten opened the inning with an opposite-field single down the left field line.  He advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved third on Daminger's bunt single.  Daminger stole second and Peters reached on a fielder's choice.  Cordner tripled into the rightfield corner to give MU a 2-0 lead.
 
The score stood until the sixth inning when DeSales hit two homers to take a 4-2 lead.
 
MU threatened in the fifth when Corner led off with a double down the rightfield line and Vin Proietto was hit by a pitch, but DeSales escaped the jam on a ground out.
 
The Cougars chipped away at the Bulldogs lead in the top of the seventh. Peters doubled to left field and advanced to third on a flyout by Cordner. Drew Van Horn drove a run in on a squeeze bunt get the Cougars within 4-3.
 
Daminger walked with one out in the ninth to put the tying run on base but he was stranded at second on a game-ending line out.
 
The teams will meet in game two of the best-of-three series, Saturday at one with game three to follow, if needed.