COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College baseball team took care of their end of the bargain on Monday afternoon in the hunt for the last playoff spot in the Centennial Conference with a sweep of McDaniel. The Bears took the first game by a score of 10-5, before erupting for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth in an 18-11 win for the Bears.

The Bears (13-18, 9-9 Centennial) are now tied with Swarthmore for the fourth and final playoff spot. Washington College, who split a doubleheader with Dickinson Monday afternoon sits at 8-9 with a game with Johns Hopkins Tuesday afternoon. If Washington defeats Hopkins, forcing a three-way tie, Swarthmore will get the last spot, while a Blue Jay win gives Ursinus the fourth and final spot in the tourney which starts Friday at Hopkins.

Ursinus never trailed in both games, and used a big inning after McDaniel tied the score or came within one run. In the first game, Ursinus posted a four-run inning in the bottom of the third after McDaniel (11-19, 4-14 Centennial) had tied the score at 3-all. In game two, Ursinus scored eight in the sixth after McDaniel had pulled to within 7-6.

Game one saw Ursinus take a 3-0 lead after two innings on RBI hits by junior third baseman Lou Argentine (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) and a two-run double by Brandon Sullivan (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown).

After McDaniel tied the score in the top of the third, Ursinus got four in the bottom of the third, capped by another two-run single by Sullivan. Sullivan finished game  one 2-for-4 with four RBI. Ursinus would add two more in the fourth on a two-run double by junior first baseman Rich Guthridge (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford). Ursinus would add one more in the sixth on a RBI single by sophomore catcher Kevin Wilson (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick).

Guthridge and freshman second baseman Ralph Aurora (Plainsboro, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro) each had two hits in the game. On the mound, junior left handed pitcher Steve Christakos (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson) pitched six innings, striking out two and walking one to improve to 4-5.

Game two saw Ursinus take a 7-0 lead after two innings. Guthridge finished game two 3-for-5 with two runs scored, five RBI, and his first home run of the season. Sullivan and Aurora had three hits, with Argentine and junior right fielder Garrett Smith (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesse) each picking up two. Sullivan had four runs scored, while freshman designated hitter Mike Maxsenti (Newport Coast, Calif./Laguna Beach) had three runs scored.

Junior right handed pitcher Nate Schnell (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) got the win, pitching six innings to improve to 1-3. He struck out two and walked three.

Ursinus hosts PSU-Berks Tuesday at 4.