PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- Eastern University Baseball jumped to an early 6-2 lead at Arcadia, but the host Knights scored four runs in the sixth and added single tallies in each of the final three innings to emerge with a 9-8 walk-off win.

The Eagles took advantage of some early season defense to give starting pitcher Gary Moses a 3-0 lead before he stepped onto the field. Dave Prager and  Greg DeSarro each collected RBI singles and a third run scored on an error in the top of the first.

Moses walked a man in each of his first two innings. He got in some trouble in the third after Jon Washatka had stretched the Eastern lead to 4-0 with a two-out single down the right field line for his first career RBI. Moses set down the first two batters before giving up a single through the left side. The next two batters walked and Arcadia halved the lead with a two-RBI single. 

"The plan all along was to give him three innings today," Eastern skipper Matt Midkiff related. "It is early in the season, and we want to bring him along. He showed some good stuff out there."

The Eagles answered back almost immediately as DeSarro knocked in a pair with a towering double to center in the top of the fourth. The Eagles, however, were unable to add on another run. Eastern left runners in scoring position in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. 

"There is a big difference between 6-2 and 7-2," Midkiff related, "We will need to get better at taking advantage of those chances to put a game out of reach with either a two-out hit or a sacrifice fly." 

Freshman left-hander Ryan Chenault worked a pair of scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth.

The missed opportunities came back to haunt the Eagles as Arcadia plated four in the bottom half of the sixth. Jerry Smith delivered the big blow for the home team with a two-out triple to left-center.

Arcadia grabbed the lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. After the lead-off runner reached and advanced on an error, sophomore right-hander Ben Melendez nearly worked his way out of a runner on third with no-one out jam. After coaxing a ground ball to third, and getting a strike out, the runner scored on a two-strike wild pitch.

"We need close games where we have to manage situations," Midkiff said, "We can learn a lot from this game and we can see that there were things that we did right. We just need to finish it."

Dave Prager homered down the right field line with two outs in the eighth to tie the game, and the Eagles grabbed the lead on an unearned run of their own. Prager now has three home runs in as many games.

The Knights scored a two-out run in the eighth. After the Eagles went quietly in the ninth, the Knights took advantage of a lead-off double to earn the game-winner.

With inclement weather on the horizon, the home opener scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled. Eastern will be back in action in South Carolina on March 5th. Fans can follow the action from Spring Break on Twitter @EUEagles.

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