Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College scored nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to erase a 6-2 deficit and defeat Arcadia University 11-6 in Commonwealth Conference baseball action Friday afternoon at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium.
Ben Yeager doubled home two runs to break a 6-6 tie as the Blue Jays (21-13 overall, 10-6 Commonwealth) strung together six hits and four walks during the inning and overcame a strong start by the Knights' Jason Heryla, who scattered two hits over the first 6 2/3 innings but then gave up nine runs on seven hits while recording just two more outs.
Yeager finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and four runs batted in for the Blue Jays, while
Anthony Heaps went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and singled home two runs to tie the game at 6-6 just before Yeager's go-ahead double.
Rich Schlamowitz finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Knights (8-28 overall, 1-15 Commonwealth), who led 5-0 entering the bottom of the seventh but gave up 11 runs over the final two innings.
Arcadia scored two unearned runs in the first inning on a pair of wild pitches by Blue Jay starter
Adam Hartzell, and added two more runs in the third on RBI singles by Dan Morris and Schlamowitz. A two-out RBI single by David Kutteroff extended the Knight lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth, while Heryla set down nine straight batters from the fourth into the seventh innings.
Trailing 5-0 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh,
Matt Reade walked and moved to second on a single by Heaps. Yeager followed with a double to the left-field corner to drive home Reade and Heaps and cut the Knight lead to 5-2, but Arcadia responded in the top of the eighth on a two-out infield single by Kutteroff that drove home Schlamowitz and gave the Knights a 6-2 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth,
Rodney Francis and
Matt Vinagro drew back-to-back walks to open the inning. After a fly out,
Brian Kiernan singled home Francis to pull the Blue Jays within 6-3. A wild pitch by Heryla was followed by an RBI single by
Dillon Tagle which trimmed the margin to 6-4.
After a single by Reade loaded the bases, Heaps singled to right field to knock in Tagle and Kiernan and knot the score at 6-6. Yeager broke the tie with a double down the left-field line to drive home Heaps and Reade and chase Heryla from the mound. Pinch-hitter
Andrew Gordon followed with a bunt single that was thrown away down the right-field line, allowing Yeager to score and give the Blue Jays a 9-6 lead.
Following an intentional walk to Francis, Vinagro executed a squeeze bunt to plate Gordon and give Elizabethtown a 10-6 lead. Francis capped the scoring by crossing the plate on a passed ball.
Hartzell received a no-decision for the Blue Jays after giving up seven hits and six runs (three earned) in 7 2/3 innings while striking out five and walking one, but hitting three batters.
Matt Ruth (1-0) threw two pitches to get the final out of the eighth inning and earn the win for Elizabethtown, while
Ryan Barrett pitched a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.
Heryla (0-7) gave up nine earned runs on nine hits and five walks in 7 1/3 innings of work for the Knights, throwing 131 pitches before giving way to reliever Joseph Blake.
Vinagro went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for Elizabethtown, while Francis walked twice and scored two runs. The Blue Jays finished with a slim 10-9 advantage in the hit column over the Knights, who received 2-for-4 performances from Kutteroff and Jerry Smith.