Knights Bring It in Series Closer but Lose 5-6 in Dramatic Fashion

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa., Sunday, April 3, 2011-- Arcadia University Baseball made a valiant effort on Sunday in the closing game of their three-game slate with Elizabethtown College, but ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh. The Jays' Dillon Tagle sent a shot up the middle with the bases loaded on two-outs for a 6-5 Jays' come-from-behind win to sweep the series with the Knights.

After E'town took the opening game at Erny field on Saturday (17-9), Arcadia dropped game two by a 7-1 decision. Aaron Benusis'14 took the lead for the Knights in the middle game of the series with the Jays. After a fielding error sent the Jays first run across the plate in the first, Benusis settled in and sent the Jays down 1-2-3 in the second and third. A 1-0 lead for E'town stood until the bottom of the fourth when the Jays scored on a sac fly and added another on a pick-off attempt at second, with E' Town's Matt Reade stealing home to close the inning.

The Jays' Rob Cressman pitched a 1-2-3 inning to Arcadia in the fifth to hold his team's 3-0 lead and then looked to his offense. In the bottom of the fifth, E'town drove in four runs on five hits, started by a costly error at home plate from Arcadia, as the Jays hit the ball and stole six bases in the inning to take a 7-0 lead. Arcadia first-year Brandon Martin singled to left opening the top of the sixth, before he robbed the Jays of second and third base, finally brought in by junior Kyle Jackson's RBI single to center. Jackson, who had made his way to third on a Mike McElhatton '12 single, tried to extend the play into a run for his team but was thrown down at home plate to end the inning. With the Jays in front 7-1, E'town faced Arcadia reliever David Jacobs '14, who pitched two walks, allowing no hits in the frame in hopes his team could make some noise at the plate in their final at-bat, however, E'town closer Todd Leister enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning on a fly-out and two foul-outs from the Knights to end the game.

In game two, head coach Brian Pugh went to junior Marc Gottfried for the start, the Knights lone pitcher with a win this season and the junior delivered his Sunday best until a high pitch count wore him down in the bottom of the seventh. E'town's Matt Ruth tossed a lead-off walk to Brandon Martin to open the game. Martin scored on an error four plays later and for the first time in the series, Arcadia took the first lead, 1-0.

The Jays responded in the second to tie the game on an RBI double to center and following a scoreless third, the Knights gave Gottfried some breathing room. J.J. Zhering '13 was dealt a lead-off walk and junior Mark Bowman reached on a Jays fielding error. With runners on second and third, Gottfried grounded into short, allowing Zhering to touch home putting the Knights back on top 2-1. With Martin back up to bat and two outs away, the first year connected for his first collegiate home run ball, a two-run shot over the left field fence giving Arcadia a 4-1 lead.

Each team scored one more time, until the Knights final run came on an unearned score for first-year Pat Kwaitkowski, who tripled to left center on two-outs in the sixth. E'town chipped away with two in the bottom of the sixth and then sent Todd Leister back to the mound to hold the Knights at five runs.The Knights tried to grab some insurance in the seventh when sophomore Jerry Smith extended his double-down the left field line into three bases on a Jay's fielding error but was caught stealing home two plays later before the Knights grounded out to end the frame. With Gottfried nearing 120 pitches, he struck out E'town's lead-off batter to open the final inning. With two outs away, the Knights were ready to spoil the series sweep when the tank ran dry. A walk, fielder's choice and another costly error allowed the Jays to load the bases when Dillon Tagle sent a single up the middle to win it. Gottfried went the distance for Arcadia but falls to 1-2 on the season.

Following a non-league game at Delaware Valley College this Tuesday, the Knights (1-18/0-9 CC) look to right the ship with this weekend's series with the Albright College Lions (4-15/0-6 CC). The Knights play the series opener at Albright on Friday at 3:30 p.m. before hosting the Lions Saturday at Erny Field.

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