PHILADELPHIA – Michael Melendez (Lansdale, Pa./Christopher Dock) delivered a walk-off single in last of the eighth to give the Philadelphia University baseball team a 3-2 victory in game one of its home doubleheader with Le Moyne Saturday on Alumni Field. The Rams would split the twinbill as the Dolphins took game two, 6-5.

GAME ONE
Melendez capped off a 2-for-4 contest with a one-out single to left field off of Le Moyne reliever Josiah Gray to plate Fernando Garza (Laredo, Texas/Alexander).

Garza single-handedly set up Melendez to drive in the winning run. He led off the frame with a base hit and, after a strikeout, successfully stole second and went to third on an overthrow by Trey West when he attempted to get the stealing Garza—who finished 2-for-4.

Luke Floer (Brewster, N.Y./North Salem) tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning to record his first win of the season. Rams' starter Casey O'Donnell (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) fanned 11 and allowed just four hits, but did not factor into the decision.

Philadelphia broke a scoreless tie with a pair of two-out runs in its half of the second inning. With runners at second and third, Christopher Lorenzo (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) came through with a single to score David McTaggart (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) for the game's first run. Dan Klusman (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) scored two batters later on a wild pitch.

Le Moyne got a run back in the third on a Brian Cox sacrifice fly and Gabe Levanti tied the game in the sixth with a two-out single.

Philadelphia recorded eight hits in the win.

Gray turned in 1.1 innings of relief, including two strikeouts, in a losing effort

GAME TWO
Philadelphia trailed 6-2 going into its last at-bat and but together a rally that came up just short.

Lorenzo started the seventh off with a lead-off walk and scored two batters later on a Garza double to left field. After another walk loaded the bases, Melendez hit into a fielder's choice to bring home Timothy Brodhag (Warminster, Pa./William Tennett) and bring the Rams within 6-4. McTaggart followed that up with another fielder's choice that scored Garza to make it a 6-5 game.

Klusman popped to short to end the game.

After the Dolphins took a 1-0 lead in the second, the Rams fought back to score twice in the third on a two-RBI double by Garza to grab a 2-1 advantage.

The Dolphins' Nick Place immediately, leading off the fourth with a solo home run to knot the game at two. Le Moyne used the long ball to its advantage two innings later as Pat Wright connected for a two-run home run over the center field fence to go up 4-2.

Le Moyne tacked on two more runs in the seventh on a Cox base hit to center.

Led by two hits from Place, Le Moyne outhit Philadelphia 7-4. Garza was 3-for-4 for Philadelphia.

Cody Barnes entered the game with two down in the fourth and threw a scoreless inning of relief to get the win. Jake Goldberg (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) took the loss.

Philadelphia and Le Moyne conclude their four-game weekend set on Sunday, March 13 at noon.