WESTMINSTER, Md. – Graduate Student
Joey Hubinger hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to seal a 5-4 win for the McDaniel College baseball team and complete a doubleheader sweep of Haverford on Saturday from Preston Field.
The Green Terror (11-11-1, 2-0) earned their first walk-off win since a 3-2 win in game two of a doubleheader with Franklin & Marshall on Apr. 6, 2024.
McDaniel opened Centennial Conference play with a win in game one, jumping out to a 10-0 lead before holding off a furious rally by the Fords (11-8, 0-2) in the later innings.
McDaniel 11, Haverford 7 (Game 1)
The Green Terror started the scoring in the first on a two-run double from junior
Ben Davis. A five-run third inning started with another RBI double from sophomore
Ethan Haddock, followed by an RBI single from sophomore
Shea McKenna. McKenna scored on a wild pitch and freshman
Thomas Mezzullo hit a two-run single to make the score 7-0 after three.
McKenna added another RBI single in the fourth and Davis smashed a two-run homer to right center field for his team-leading fourth home run of the season to give the Green Terror a 10-0 lead after four innings.
The Fords got on the board in the sixth with a three-run inning, but McDaniel responded in the bottom half of the inning on a solo homer from junior
Kyle Carl, his first career round tripper.
Now trailing 11-3, Haverford posted a four spot in the eighth inning to stay alive, highlighted by a three-run double that cut the Green Terror lead to four. But senior
Conor Henderson entered the game in the ninth and shut down the Haverford comeback attempt, allowing only one baserunner and striking out the game's final batter.
Davis had a monster game at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a two-run homer. McKenna reached base in all five of his plate appearances, earning three base hits and two walks in five at-bats with two RBIs and three runs scored. Mezzullo had the first multi-RBI game of his career and Haddock also chipped in with an RBI hit. Hubinger had a four hit game and scored three runs in the win.
Sophomore
Jake Young secured the win in game one, pitching three innings as the starter and only allowing three hits and no runs with two strikeouts.
McDaniel 5, Haverford 4 (Game 2)
The Fords started strong in game two, opening up a 3-0 lead in the second after a two-run single and a sacrifice fly. McDaniel tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout from junior
Matt Fuller and a sacrifice fly from Mezzullo that scored freshman
Cameron Simon and sophomore
DJ Stolba after a throwing error in right field.
Davis gave McDaniel the lead after an RBI single that scored Haddock, making the score 4-3 in the third inning. Haverford tied the game again in the fourth after a throwing error following a sacrifice bunt allowed a run to score, knotting the contest at 4-4.
Both teams went cold over the next four innings as the score remained tied. The Green Terror abandoned two baserunners in the sixth and were sent down in order in the seventh and eighth to take the game into the ninth still deadlocked at 4-4.
Haverford stranded two baserunners in the top of the ninth, allowing McDaniel a chance to win it in the bottom half. Down to their final out, the Green Terror stayed alive on a single from Mezzullo. Carl then drew a walk, putting two men on with two outs. Hubinger won the game in walk-off fashion after hitting an RBI single to left center field, scoring Mezzullo and securing the sweep over Haverford.
Davis was the only Green Terror batter with multiple hits in game two, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Hubinger went 1-for-5, his only hit being the game-winner in the ninth. Haddock, Stolba, Fuller and Mezzullo each had a base hit while Fuller and Mezzullo each collected an RBI.
Henderson pitched again in game two and got the win in relief. In just one inning of work he struck out one batter and allowed only one base hit. Freshman
Brady Harach got the start and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and walking three Haverford batters. Junior
Tyson Nercessian entered in relief and pitched 3.2 innings, striking out five batters and allowing just two hits and one walk.
The Green Terror return to Preston Field on Tuesday for a midweek showdown against Centennial Conference rival Washington College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
