Devils Squeeze a Victory out of Rams

A five run seventh inning highlighted by a suicide squeeze play pushed the University of the Sciences men's baseball team past Philadelphia University 5-4 Wednesday Afternoon at Alumni Field in East Falls, Philadelphia.

The Devils improve to 11-17 overall and 9-7 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games with the win.  The Rams fall to 4-25 overall and 2-12 in league play. USciences nine CACC wins are the most conference wins ever in a single season by the program and their 11 overall wins equals their 2008 total.  

The Devils trailed 3-0 after six full innings and had made one out to open the seventh when the floodgates opened.  Lou Tomasetti reached on an error and a walk to Jeff Murtha and a single from Will Rebman loaded the bases.  Nick Szalejko then walked to score Tomasetti and end the day for Rams starter Jeffrey Bohus.  Reliever Don Bradley walked the next two Devils, scoring Murtha and Rebman and tying the game at 3-3. Left-hander Kevin McGovern took to the mound to face left-handed hitting Mark Perry, who was batting just .172 against left-handed pitching this season.  Head coach Frank Angeloni called for the suicide squeeze as Szalejko broke from third on the pitch and Perry laid down the perfect bunt towards third base as Szalejko crossed the plate.  Perry barely beat  out the throw to first for a single and a 4-3 Devils lead.  Sciences added an insurance run on a passed ball, scoring Jay Andrews from third.

Starter Luke Peyton gave up a one out walk and then intentionally walked Anthony DiFrancesco before yielding to Dan McMahon.  McMahon threw a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position before striking out Jordan Force to end the inning.

McMahon got the Rams out in order in the eighth but struggled a bit in the ninth, putting two runners on with two outs to bring up DiFrancesco who singled to score John Szcepanski, closing the gap to one, 5-4.  Force then grounded out weekly to second base to end the game, giving Peyton the win and McMahon the save.

Peyton pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out four and improving his record to 4-2.  McMahon, in recording his first career save, pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, giving up just two hits and one run while striking out four.

The Devils return to action on Saturday for a CACC doubleheader against Post University at Ashburn Field in South Philadelphia.  First pitch is set for noon.