Outstanding starting pitching led the Muhlenberg baseball team to a 7-2 win against Bard in the first game of a three-game series at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster.

Sophomore Luke Foley faced just three batters over the minimum in his six-inning stint to earn the win. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before giving up a single and did not allow a runner past first base. Foley (pictured above) matched his career high with 5 strikeouts and ended his day by making a nice play on a comebacker to end the top of the sixth. 

The Raptors (0-3) threatened to get back in the game in the seventh, loading the bases with one out before junior Evan Virno came in to retire the side on a line drive to shortstop that freshman Salvatore Cifalino, just into the game, turned into an unassisted double play. 

Virno pitched a scoreless eighth before Bard spoiled the shutout in the ninth.

The Mules (5-2) managed only four hits themselves but capitalized on five errors, 11 walks and two hit batters, scoring all their runs between the second and fifth innings.

Senior Brendan Bussiere doubled in senior Brendan Hughes, who drew a leadoff walk, in the second, and a three-base throwing error to start the third led to two more runs.

Hughes doubled in two runs in the fourth, and an error and bases-loaded walk plated a pair more in the fifth.

Senior Aidan Legner contributed a sacrifice in the fourth, becoming Muhlenberg's all-time leader with 15 in his career.