MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Juniors Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Chris Conklin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) each homered for the Valiants, but a ninth-inning comeback spoiled Manhattanville's season opener at the Cal Ripken Classic.
 
The Valiants came within an out of picking up the win Saturday in South Carolina, but a fielding error with two outs allowed Muhlenberg to plate the winning run and remain unbeaten on the year.   
 
Junior John Moschetti (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) made his Valiant debut on the mound Saturday after spending two seasons at Westchester Community College.  The Cortland Manor native tossed seven strong innings, striking out five and allowing five runs.  The effort was not enough for Manhattanville (0-1 overall) as Muhlenberg (5-0 overall) scored twice in the bottom half of the ninth to pick up the win.
 
Manhattanville jumped ahead in the first inning when senior Kurt Hommen (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first run of the game.  Muhlenberg responded in the bottom of the second, scoring an unearned run on a Valiant fielding error.
 
Lynch responded with a homerun in the top half of the third.  For Lynch, the homerun served as his 100th career hit, and gave the Valiants a 2-1 lead.  Conklin would follow up with a blast of his own in the following inning to extend the lead to two runs. The Valiants tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning on an RBI double from junior Anthony Ianuzzi and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Conklin to make it a 6-1 game.
 
Muhlenberg responded late however.  The Muhls got two runs back in the sixth inning and one in the seventh on a homerun from Robbie Hopes. 
 
Senior Julian Ponce (Port Chester, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) came in on relief in the eighth inning and set the Muhls down in order in his first inning of work.  Ponce retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth but once again the Muhls did not go away quietly.  A walk and a hit batsman put two runners on base for Muhlenberg, and Jon Capra delivered with an RBI double that tied the game 6-6.  Matt Riebesell reached base on another Valiant fielding error which allowed the winning run to score from third to give Muhlenberg the victory. 
 
Conklin and Ianuzzi led Manhattanville with two runs batted in apiece, but the effort was not enough as the Valiants ended the night with eleven runners left on base, including stranding a runner at third in the top half of the final frame.  The team will look to bounce back quickly as they return to the diamond Sunday for a double-header against Swarthmore.