men’s basketball bows in semis

Baseball, Women’s Tennis Lose to Ranked Teams Baseball Muhlenberg came out swinging to start the 2009 season, taking nationally ranked Thiel to extra innings before falling, 13-10, in Winter Haven, Fla. The Mules knocked around the Thiel starter, who was 11-2 with a 2.93 ERA last year, to the tune of nine hits and six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Muhlenberg led 8-7 after six innings and 10-9 after eight, but the Tomcats, ranked 21st in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, scored one in the ninth to tie and three in the 10th to win. Leading the hit parade was senior Christian Conti, who went 5-for-6 with three RBI. The 2008 Division III leader in triples hit a three-bagger in his first game of 2009. Senior John Kalis hit a three-run homer in the fifth, and senior Edward Risener also drove in three runs. Senior Chris Costa was 3-for-5 with a double. Click here for line score. Women’s Tennis While the rest of the campus left for Spring Break, the Muhlenberg women’s tennis team stuck around a little longer to play its second match in six days against a nationally ranked opponent. The Mules fared well in a 6-3 loss to No. 22 Vassar, a team that was coming off an 8-1 win against Division I Fordham. Four players combined for the three points, with sophomores Caitie Druker and Sara Sutker teaming up for an 8-6 win in a well-played No. 2 doubles match. Sophomore Danielle Winston suffered her first doubles loss of the year after 10 wins but rebounded to win at No. 5 singles, coming back from a set down. Senior Carly Rotfeld prevailed in straight sets at No. 3 singles. Click here for box score.

In a game that featured more whistles than a train station at rush hour, the Muhlenberg men’s basketball team suffered an 87-79 loss to Franklin & Marshall in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference playoffs.

The Mules ended their best season since 2002 with a record of 16-11, while the 23rd-ranked

In addition to tying his career high of 12 points in his final game, MacIntosh dished out three assists, giving him a career total of 231.

Diplomats (22-4) go on to play Gettysburg in the championship game.

The two teams were called for 61 fouls and combined to shoot 88 free throws. Four players fouled out and six others ended the game with four fouls. F&M shot 41 free throws in the second half alone.

Muhlenberg got off to a rocky start, missing 10 shots and committing six turnovers in the first seven minutes to fall behind 10-0. But after getting their bearings the Mules chipped away at the lead and trailed by only four at halftime.

The Mules finally tied the score at 46 with 11:19 left and took their first lead the next trip down on a putback by senior Tim Murray. The game was tied at 56 with 7:26 left before F&M scored the next three points, and Muhlenberg never got closer than one. A four-point possession by the Diplomats, with a three-pointer coming off a rebound of a missed second free throw, made the score 67-62 with five minutes left. F&M did most of its damage from the foul line the rest of the way.

Freshman Spencer Liddic led the Mules in scoring for the second straight playoff game with 15 points. Junior Brian Frankoski (13), senior Chris MacIntosh (12) and junior Ryan Foster (10) also scored in double figures, and senior Darrell Roth added 9 points in his last career game.
Click here for box score.
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