Dallas, PA (March 18, 2016) – The DeSales University baseball team dropped its MAC Freedom opener on Friday afternoon allowing two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall 4-3 at Misericordia University in the first of three games this weekend between the two teams.
 
MU (8-4, 1-0 MAC Freedom) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning but DeSales (3-5, 0-1 MAC Freedom) pulled even in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from senior Carrington Santana plating junior Tyler Sweeney who had doubled with one out.
 
The Cougars got the run back in the bottom of the inning but the Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning on three hits including an RBI sacrifice bunt from Santana and RBI single from junior Tommy DePaul plating Sweeney and freshman pinch-runner Chase Williams.
 
Freshman Felix Martinez Jr. tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the lead but walked the leadoff batter in the eighth before being replaced by senior Chris Polaski.  Polaski opened with a wild pitch before getting the first out.  With a runner on third and one out he walked the next two batters and MU tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Alec Iurato.  The Cougars then took the lead on a wild pitch scoring two runs without a hit and pitched out of a two-out jam in the ninth after junior Jesse Smoot singled and junior Mike Kacergis walked in the ninth with two outs to preserve the win.
 
Sweeney had a strong day at the plate finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored as DSU had 10 hits as compared to just six for Misericordia.  The Bulldogs left 10 men on-base in the loss.  Martinez Jr. was terrific in his second career start tossing seven plus innings allowing just three runs and striking out three.
 
The Bulldogs host the Cougars tomorrow at Butz Field beginning at Noon in second and third games of the weekend set.