One inning after reaching a career milestone, senior C.J. Kessler of the Muhlenberg baseball team was involved in another notable play that ended Mules’ 15-13 loss to Beloit on Wednesday night.

Muhlenberg came back after being down 11-1 and had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Junior Chad Hegstrom ripped a ground ball between first and second that would have tied the game easily, but Kessler had no chance to get out of the way and was called out for interference when the ball struck him.

In the eighth, Kessler stroked a two-run single for his 100th career hit. He is the 25th player in team history to reach the century mark.

The Mules were able to climb back into the game thanks to the long relief pitching of freshman Paul Faith, who struck out five in 4.2 innings and kept the Buccaneers (4-3) off the board in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Muhlenberg scored three runs in the fifth when freshman Joe Carlo circled the bases after the centerfielder misplayed his single, then added two more in the sixth on sophomore Pete Oris’ third two-run double in two days.

Kessler’s milestone hit got the Mules to within one, at 13-12, after eight, but Beloit added two huge runs in the top of the ninth.

Hegstrom went 4-for-6, raising his team-leading batting average to .474, and also threw out two runners at home plate from right field. Carlo recorded his first career four-hit game, and junior Matt Tobia had three hits, including an RBI double.

Muhlenberg pounded out 20 hits to raise its team batting average to a robust .365.

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In addition to earning half of the Mules’ six wins, Cartolano is 8-for-12 with seven RBI at the plate.

Muhlenberg (6-3) hung tough in its final game, falling 6-2 to fourth-ranked Muskingum.

The Mules’ first opponent was no slouch, either, having reached the NCAA Tournament last year. After the Dolphins hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to break a scoreless tie, Cartolano came in from the bullpen and shut them down the rest of the way. She allowed only two hits and struck out three to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Cartolano helped Muhlenberg get back in the game by singling in one of two runs in the fourth. In the fifth, junior Missy DeFrain began a rally with a single for the second straight inning. Subsequent singles by juniors Tara DeMarzo and Lindsay Ruhling brought in the tying run, and after a walk loaded the bases, Cartolano unloaded them with triple.

Senior Kadie Serfass scored an insurance run on a groundout in the sixth after leading off with a single.

Muskingum threatened to turn the second game into a rout, belting three home runs to take a 5-0 lead into the middle of the fourth. With freshman Katie Vecchione in from the bullpen to slow down the Muskingum bats, the Mules battled back against the Muskies’ All-America pitcher, who led all of Division III with 38 wins last year.

Four singles, the last by Cartolano, plated one run in the fourth. The next inning, Serfass walked and scored on a DeFrain single.

The Mules had many chances, but left the bases loaded in the fourth, and stranded two runners in both the fifth and sixth.

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