Box Score Fort Pierce, Fla. – In the first game of the 2014 season for the Knights, Arcadia dropped a 12 inning extra-inning affair to the Susquehanna Crusaders by a score of 5-3. The Crusaders were able to put across two runs in the top of the 12th inning and then hold off one last threat from the Knights in the bottom half to secure the victory. With the win, Susquehanna improved to 6-3 on the season while Arcadia fell to 0-1.

Susquehanna struck first in the ballgame by plating across one run in top of the first inning. Junior designated hitter Kyle Semmel (Burlington Twp., N.J.) delivered in his at-bat with a bases loaded single, which put across senior center fielder Ty Raubenstine (Elizabethville, Pa.) and kept the bases loaded. The Knights were able to limit the damage and get out of the inning when sophomore first baseman Chris Ryan (Toms River, N.J.) grounded to sophomore third baseman Michael Nessel (Stuart, Fla.) in which Nessel was able to come up with a third-to-first double play.

The Knights struck next in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead after a single from sophomore second baseman George Pagan (Old Bridge, N.J.), which pushed across Arcadia's first runs of the season when senior shortstop Elliott Freeman (Bangor, Pa.) and senior designated hitter David Jacobs (Havre de Grace, Md.) both scored. Pagan made it around to third on his hit because of an errant throw from the right fielder and then crossed home plate after a wild pitch.

Susquehanna would then score one run in both the fifth and eighth innings to make it a 3-3 ballgame. Semmel notched his second RBI of the game in the fifth with a one-out groundout to the shortstop and junior shortstop Nick Kennedy (Brookeville, Md.) was able to put down an effective sacrifice bunt in the eighth which scored freshman catcher Ben Miller (Columbia, Md.) from third because of the throw.

The game would not see any scoring until the 12th inning when Susquehanna would score the winning runs. Freshman Jimmy Kinneally (Brielle, N.J.) pinch hit to start off the 12th and hit a single to center field. Following a strikeout, Kinneally advanced to third on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt from freshman pitcher Vincent Ceriale (Broomall, Pa.) during the next at-bat. Junior left fielder Jared Musilli (Branchville, N.J.) hit a clutch single to right field, getting his third of the game and the go-ahead RBI by scoring Kineally. Kennedy would then go on to have an infield hit and then successfully executing a double steal to put runners on second and third with only one out. Raubenstine then produced an RBI groundout, which scored Musilli and put the Crusaders up by two.

The Knights had their chances in the bottom half to make a last minute comeback but came up short. Senior center fielder Justin Simpson (Centreville, Va.) was able to reach first on a passed ball strikeout and then Jacobs singled through the right side, advancing Simpson to third. Jacobs went on to steal second, giving Arcadia a chance to at least tie the game with two runners in scoring position with its heart of the order at the plate with no outs. However, the next three batters of Freeman, Pagan, and Nessel would all strikeout in order to end the game.

For the Knights, Pagan and sophomore catcher Connor Arsenault (Medford, N.J.) each had two hits with Pagan producing one RBI and a run scored.

In relief, sophomore Joseph Warren (Yardley, Pa.) and junior Jonah Van Bemmelen (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) combined for six innings of no-hit baseball, eight strikeouts, four walks and only one earned run given up.

Ceriale suffered the loss for the Knights in his one inning of relief, giving up three hits, two earned runs, and striking out one.

Arcadia will next play tomorrow afternoon against Keystone College for a double header slated to begin at 1:30 p.m.