PHILADELPHIA, Pa. –  In a see-saw battle down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, Post University Baseball found themselves on the losing end of the final result, as a bases-loaded, nobody out rally in the ninth inning came up just one run short, in an 8-7  defeat at the hands of Jefferson University. Sophomore right-hander Will Hoffman shut the door on the ninth, striking out two, to pick up his first save as a Ram this year. 

THE BASICS

Post University 7, Jefferson University 8
  
Post University (13-15, 7-5 CACC)
 
Jefferson University (8-11, 7-5 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Hitting the first home run of his career, graduate infielder Hunter Keller got the Eagles on the scoreboard first against junior left-hander Patrick Karbach with his two-run shot in the second inning as Post took an early 3-1 lead after 2 1/2 innings of action. Senior catcher Manny Contreras, who finished with four RBIs, doubled home that third run in the third inning after the Rams cut into the lead with an RBI single in the second by sophomore infielder Jay Salsbery. 

But the lead would end up not lasting long as senior utility player Andrew Holub drove in a run in the third on a fielder's choice before tying the game in the fifth with an RBI double. Freshman right-hander Justin Hascup, who started on the mound for Post, would be chased after five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts, picking up a no-decision.

Freshman right-hander JJ Roberts would get the ball in Hascup's place during the sixth, with Post trailing 4-3 after a single from freshman outfielder Vincent Favata gave Jefferson the lead back in the fifth. Meanwhile, the Eagles would tie things up in the sixth on an RBI double by freshman infielder Max DeFrancesco and a Contreras RBI fielder's choice in the sixth, before Jefferson answered back again.

Putting up a four-spot in the seventh, Roberts would be responsible for three of those runs after allowing the first three Rams to reach safely, including allowing the go-ahead two-run double to sophomore outfielder Tripp Capers, before junior right-hander Dalton Wright entered the game. Wright would throw two wild pitches, leading to two more runs for the Rams, who turned their one-run deficit into a three-run lead.

But Post did not go quietly, loading the bases after sophomore right-hander Cole Roschel allowed the first two batters to reach, and Hoffman gave up a single to graduate outfielder Andrew Hartman, with nobody out in the ninth and a chance to take the lead. After a two-run single by Contreras and an error on the play allowing him to move up to second, Hoffman would record back-to-back strikeouts before getting Keller to fly out and end the threat with the Eagles falling short in their rally attempt, 8-7. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• In each of his last three starts, Justin Hascup has gone at least five innings, as he finished five innings today, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks 
• With a hit in today's game, Joey Cohen is now riding a team-best six-game hitting streak heading into Sunday's doubleheader at home
• Evan Cornwell finished with one hit in the game, moving his career total to 163 hits, Cornwell is 30 hits away from tying Dan Luisi for the most hits in program history at Post University
• Andrew Hartman went 1-for-5 in today's affair, extending his on-base streak to 18 consecutive games -- The last time Hartman failed to reach base safely was against Cedarville University on February 28th

WHO'S NEXT
Post University faces Jefferson University tomorrow afternoon at Municipal Stadium for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 PM.