ALLENTOWN, Pa.- It does not happen often, but in the early part of the year, on fields without lights, college baseball teams can play to a tie. Eastern University Baseball grabbed a 3-1 lead in the middle innings, but they needed a single run in the ninth to earn a 4-4 tie at Muhlenberg College this afternoon. Eastern starter Nick Moeltner went six plus innings in his second solid outing of the season.

The Eagles went quietly in each of the first three innings. Moeltner, on the other hand, had to work out of some challenging situations in the each of the first three frames. The Eagles broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Greg DeSarro and Darren Zeigenfus picked up RBI's in the inning. The yield could have been better for the visiting side as they loaded the bases with no one out, but the two tallies were all they could muster. 

"We had some chances," said Head Coach Matt Midkiff, "to break the game open. We were unable to get the big hit to extend the inning today, but there were a lot of positives to take from our play today."

The Mules grabbed a run back with back-to-back triples after one out in the bottom of the inning. Moeltner stranded the second runner at third with a strike out and a fly out.

Mike McNulty drove in Scott Renauro in the fifth to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead midway through. Eastern squandered a chance after a lead-off triple in the sixth. Muhlenberg finally put up  a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the contest and chase Moeltner. Jon Taylor came in to pitch after the first of the two runs charged to Moeltner had scored.

Muhlenberg grabbed a 4-3 lead off Joel Rios in the bottom of the 8th, but the Eagles rallied for a single run after a Renauro doubled to start the ninth. The Eastern ninth had all the makings of a big inning, but the go-ahead run was thrown out at the plate and the two teams went to the bottom of the ninth tied.

Ernie Steigler took the mound in the bottom of the ninth and needed a pair of strikeouts to strand the winning run at third. The sophomore closer got the needed strikouts as the light of day was fading and the officials determined that the game would end in a tie.

The Eagles will return to action in Myrtle Beach next week.