If the final memories are the ones that last the longest for the members of the 2007 Muhlenberg baseball team, they will look back on the season fondly.

Seniors Pete Oris and Jason Bonder delivered noteworthy

Sassaman Named to All-CC First Team Senior second baseman Ryan Sassaman of the Muhlenberg baseball team was selected to the All-Centennial Conference first team by the league’s coaches. Sassaman hit .319 in 2007 and led the Mules in hits (38), runs scored (27) and walks (18). He drove in 13 runs and had a .427 on-base percentage from his leadoff spot. Sassaman hit .359 and scored 20 runs with a team-leading .487 on-base percentage in 18 CC games. For his career, Sassaman finished third on Muhlenberg’s career lists in hits (153), runs (104) and stolen bases (42). The All-CC nod is the second for Sassaman, who received honorable mention as a punter on the football team in 2004. He was the only Mule chosen to the baseball all-star squad.

performances as the Mules ended a disappointing season with a 7-6 win against a highly regarded DeSales team.

Muhlenberg finished with a 9-25 record, but two of the wins came against Moravian and DeSales. It’s the first time the Mules defeated both of their Lehigh Valley rivals since 2001.

Oris drove in three runs to become the program’s all-time leader with 113 for his career. Bonder, starting at a position other than pitcher (designated hitter) for only the second time, went 5-for-5.

Oris entered the game needing one RBI to break his tie with Chuck Draper (1997-2000), and he got his chance early. After the Bulldogs (24-13) scored in the top of the first, the Mules put runners on second and third on two walks and a wild pitch in the bottom of the

Freshman Phil Cresta pitched a strong game, working 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing four earned runs to a team that came in averaging 9.5 runs per game.

frame. Oris delivered a sacrifice fly to left to claim first place all to himself.

Bonder, the third Mule to record a five-hit game this season, doubled in the fourth and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. DeSales scored three times in the fifth to go up 4-2, but Muhlenberg cut the deficit in half on Oris’ second sac fly.

The Mules took advantage of poor DeSales fielding to score three runs in the sixth. With the bases loaded, Bonder broke for home on a wild pitch, then retreated back to third when the ball was retrieved quickly. Unfortunately, sophomore Christian Conti had broken for third, and now he had to scramble back. The throw to second went into center field, allowing Bonder to score.

Conti later scored on an infield error, and the third run of the inning came in when Oris walked with the bases loaded.

DeSales tied the game on a two-out, two-run hit in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for Muhlenberg to score the winning run. Junior Joe Carlo drew his third walk of the game, then went to second on a passed ball and to third on a single by Oris. Carlo scored when sophomore Chris Costa’s slow chopper to third couldn’t be handled.

Senior Eric Wolfer struck out two batters in the ninth to nail down the win.

“It was a tough season, but it’s nice to finish it off like this against a quality team,” said Bonder, who hit .643 (9-for-14) for the year. “It’s certainly a good memory to leave with.”

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