Arcadia University scored four runs in the sixth inning on Friday, and defeated Husson University 10-5 in a first round game of the NCAA Division III Glenside Regional Baseball Tournament hosted by Arcadia in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The loss ends a 15 game win streak for the Eagles.
Husson (24-16) would take the lead when Jackson Curtis hit a two out solo homerun in the top of the first inning. Arcadia came right back in the bottom half when Zach Sekelick was hit by a pitch by Eagles starter Cam Graham with the bases loaded. Graham escaped further damage when he induced Ryan Smolen to bounce into a 6-4-3 doubleplay. The teams swapped a run each in the second as well, as Austin Snow had an RBI single for Husson and Alex Madera had one for Arcadia. The Knights took a 4-2 lead on a squeeze RBI bunt by Sekelick, and a sacrifice bunt by Smolen that scored a run on an error in the third inning. Smolen added an RBI with a single in the fifth making it 5-2. The guests got back even in the sixth when Ethan Stoddard scored on a wild pitch, and Tyler Parke made it 5-5 with a two out and two strike two-run double to left center. The hosts then got all they needed in the bottom half of the sixth. Madera had an infield RBI single, Hunter Curley scored on a wild pitch, Sekelick an RBI single, and Seklick then stole second and the pickoff throw by Husson relief pitcher Jake Gregoire went into centerfield to allow Justin Massielo to score for a 9-5 lead.
Graham (5-4) took the loss on the mound for Husson allowing six runs on 10 hits with two walks and one strikeout in 5.1 innings. Stoddard had two hits. Nick Fossile (6-1) picked up the pitching win as he allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Nadell Booker picked up a 3.0 inning save, his first of the season. Madera had four hits, while both Smolen and Massielo had two each. Sakelick had three RBI, and Madera had two. Arcadia (39-7), winners of the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom and ranked #5 nationally in Division III, advances to the winners bracket Saturday against either #16 Oswego State or Elizabethtown College. Husson will play the loser of Oswego and Elizabethtown in an elimination game on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
