AMBLER, Pa. (May 3, 2024) – First-year Garret Wolf had two hits, including a triple, along with a RBI and a run scored, as the #3 Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team lost to #2 Arcadia 4-3 in game one of the MAC Freedom semifinals.

Sophomore Erik Sibbach (9-3) took the loss in the game. He pitched seven and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. Three of the runs were earned. He also struck out five batters.

The Ducks (24-15) now have work to do, as they need to win two games tomorrow in order to reach the MAC Freedom finals. This is only the second time since joining the league that the Ducks find themselves down 0-1 in a playoff series, as the Ducks were swept in the semifinals last season against Arcadia. The Knights improved to 30-10 with the win and need just one win tomorrow to advance.

The Rundown

• Arcadia scored twice in the third, one on a wild pitch and one on an error, as the Ducks trailed 2-0.
• Arcadia stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.
• With one out in the top of the seventh inning and first-year Chip Krese on first, first-year Garret Wolf tripled to left center to bring home Krese to cut the deficit. Senior Frank Tonina then singled to score Wolf as Stevens tied the game at two.
• The Knights had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh when Kevin Wheeler hit a hard grounder up the middle. Krese made an incredible diving play just outside the infield to get the ball and he flipped it to second to get the force-out that ended the inning.
• Stevens took the lead in the top of the eighth as graduate student Michael Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to score graduate student Ben Tobio.
• With a runner on second and two outs, the Knights recorded back-to-back triples to retake the lead.

Top Performers

• Tobio had two hits and scored once.
• Junior Zachary Boykin tallied two hits.
• Tonina had one hit and one RBI.
• Krese scored one run.
• Reyes recorded one RBI.

For the Opponents

• Cam Nebel (3-1) earned the victory in relief. He pitched two and a third inning and allowed one run on one hit. Will Conroy started the game and allowed two runs on seven hits on six and two-thirds innings of work. He also struck out five.
• Tommy Ajjan and Solomon Griffith each had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored.
• Five other Knights recorded a hit.

Around the MAC Freedom 

• Clarks Summit 9, King's 5 F/WED
• #4 DeSales 7, #1 Misericordia 13

Up Next

• The two teams will square off tomorrow at 12 p.m. for game two. Should the Ducks win that game, the two teams will play again shortly after. The first team to win two games in this series moves on to the MAC Freedom Championship series. Links for live stats and video are posted to stevensducks.com.