Box Score (Allentown, Pa.) – The Dickinson baseball team rallied to take the lead in the eighth inning but host Muhlenberg would score twice in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 7-6, Centennial Conference decision on Wednesday afternoon.
The Red Devils struck once in the first inning as senior Ryan Dolan (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Germantown Academy) drew a walk and scored on an RBI single from junior catcher Rick Hopkins (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J./Holy Spirit).
Muhlenberg answered with three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. First-year pitcher Ben Rappaport (Wilton, Conn./St. Luke's) kept the Mules in check from that point, recording four strikeouts in the third and fourth innings.
Hopkins drew a walk in the fourth and scored on an RBI double from senior Brian McCloud (Medfield, Mass./Medfield). Three straight hits in the seventh led to a pair of Muhlenberg runs, putting the hosts up, 5-2.
Dolan and senior Phil Werner (Potomac, Md./St. Andrew's) led-off the eighth with back-to-back singles and both scored as classmate Matt Primavera (Erdenheim, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) doubled into left center.
Primavera scored to tie the game as Hopkins followed up a double to left center as well. After a sacrifice bunt, Hopkins put the Devils in front, 6-5, scoring on another RBI from McCloud.
Dickinson held in the bottom half of the inning and had a runner on second in the ninth as first-year Stephen Sakowicz (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) hit a one-out double, but was left stranded.
A lead-off error and a base-hit put the Mules in a position to capitalize on a two-RBI single from Robbie Hopes as Muhlenberg came out on top, 7-6.
Dolan went 3-for-4 and reached on a walk, scoring twice on the day. Hopkins went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, reaching on a walk as well. McCloud and Primavera each added a pair of RBIs on the day as well.
The Red Devils slip to 18-17 overall and 5-10 in the Centennial Conference. Muhlenberg is scheduled to travel to Dickinson on Friday for a 3:30 pm match-up at MacPhail Field. The Red Devils travel to Washington College on Saturday for a 12:30 pm double-header.
