CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Arcadia University baseball program came through with a pair of late-inning, comeback wins to sweep Wednesday's doubleheader at DeSales and earn the regular season split with the MAC Freedom-leading Bulldogs, 11-5 and 13-5. Zachary Sekelick delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the Knights' six-run sixth inning in game one to end DeSales' 14-game win streak heading into play Wednesday, before the offense erupted for a trio of four-run innings late before handing the ball over to Zach Steiger who struck out eight over three and one-third innings of scoreless relief while striking out eight en route to his first save of the season.

ARCADIA 11, DESALES 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Knights staked themselves to an early lead with a run in the top of the first after Alex Madera reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second and third then coming across on a wild pitch. Justin Massielo doubled the Arcadia lead with a sacrifice fly to left with the bases loaded in the top of third before the Bulldogs plated a one-out run in the home half to make it a 2-1 game through three.

-Hunter Bogumil was strong on the mound through three innings for the Knights and kept the ball on the ground to induce a pair of critical double plays to evade any damage. The right-hander exited after the third and the Bulldog lineup came to life in the fourth with four runs on four hits - including a two-run home run - to take their first lead of the day, 5-2. 

-Following a scoreless fifth from both sides, the Knights began to chip away as one-out walks to Connor Cheeseman and Emilio Pallante ahead of a Joseph Kumar opposite-field single loaded the bases for Zachary Sekelick. The junior delivered a two-run double down the line in left before Ryan Smolen put the Knights back out in front, 6-5, with a go-ahead two-run single back through the middle. Walks to Madera and Trevor Mattson loaded the bases again for the Knights with two outs for Trey Obarowski - who led off the frame - and he came through with a two-run double to the gap in right-center to cap off the six-run frame.

-Madera's run-scoring single in the seventh followed by a Justin Massielo two-run knock added some insurance heading into the last of the seventh, but Nadell Booker and Owen Margolis combined to throw three scoreless innings in relief - capped off by a game-ending 5-4-3 double play - to lock down the 11-5 victory. Booker's scoreless fifth inning put him in line for his first collegiate win on the mound while Margolis picked up his second save of the year.

KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Madera: 2-3, 2B, RBI, 3 R, 3 SB
-Smolen: 2-3, Go-Ahead 2-Run single in 6th
-Sekelick: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Booker: W (1-0), IP, 0 H, K
-Margolis: SV (2), 2 IP, H
 
ARCADIA 13, DESALES 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Knights were first on the board again in the nightcap as Kumar reached on a two-base error to lead off the second and moved up to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a Gregory Hamrick II sac fly to center. DeSales answered right back in the home half with a pair of runs on two hits and an error to take its first lead of game two. After a scoreless third and fourth from both sides, the Bulldogs extended their lead to four with a three-run fifth.

-The Arcadia lineup once again came to life in the late innings to strike for four runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and ninth to erase the deficit and pull away in the series finale. Kumar drew a bases loaded walk to start the sixth-inning rally before Pallante plated the second run on a fielder's choice. A wild pitch brought in the third run of the inning before Sekelick lined a run-scoring single to left to tie the game at five. Kumar and Pallante went on to hit back-to-back run-scoring singles in the seventh to swing the lead back in the Knights' favor before a two-out RBI double off the bat of Smolen capped Arcadia's second-consecutive four-run frame.

-Zach Steiger delivered a dominant three and one-third shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Knights, allowing one hit while striking out eight en route to his first save of the season. The righty came on in relief in the sixth to strand the bases loaded before going on to retire nine of the final ten batters he faced while also striking out the side in the eighth. 

KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Smolen: 3-6, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
-Obarowski: 3-6, 2 R
-Kumar: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI

KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Bowdish: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), 5 K
-Steiger: SV (1), 3.1 IP, H, 8 K

UP NEXT
Arcadia (12-8) heads to Delaware Valley Saturday to begin a four-game series with the Aggies. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon.