Monday, May 2
Easton, PA
01:00 PM

Lehigh University

0
at
6

Lafayette

Smith sets record, LU falls in opener; nightcap suspended

5/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Easton, PA – Lehigh dropped game three of its four-game set at Lafayette on Monday afternoon, as the Leopards blanked the Mountain Hawks by a 6-0 score.  In game two, the two rivals were knotted up at 11-11 after six innings when the game was halted due to heave rains at Class of 1978 Stadium.  Following the game one loss, Lehigh drops to 24-19-1 overall and 11-8 in the Patriot League.  The win improves the Leopards to 18-24 on the season and 6-9 in league play.

 

Kyle Collina got the start for the Mountain Hawks in game one, and the junior struck out six in four innings of work, though he was touched up for six earned runs on the day.  The setback drops Collina’s record to 5-5 on the season.  Offensively, the Mountain Hawks were limited to just four hits, including a double from first baseman Forrest Doane.

 

In game two, the Mountain Hawks got off to a solid start with a three-spot in the top of the first.  John Zaszewski doubled home Joe Ercolano to make the score 1-0, and then left fielder Andrew Smith ripped a two-run homer to left field to give the visitors an early 3-0 advantage. 

 

Lafayette rallied off Lehigh starter Joe Raniszewski to take a 6-4 lead into the top of the fourth.  Lehigh then exploded for seven runs to surge ahead to an 11-6 lead.  The seven-run outburst was highlighted by a three-run homer from Andrew Smith – this one to right field – to give the Mountain Hawks a five-run lead.  The blast – Smith’s second of the game – was his 12th homer of the season, establishing a new single season Lehigh home run record (topping teammate Forrest Doane’s current tab of eleven).

 

However, the Leopards were not finished.  Down by five, Lafayette took advantage of a hit batsman with the bases loaded, an infield groundout, and a three-run homer from first baseman Adam Bucci to tie the game at 11-11.

 

The rain began to intensify, and the contest was suspended in the top of the sixth inning with an 11-11 score.  The two teams have tentatively agreed to resume the contest on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm.  If that is the case, the game will be picked up with Lehigh at-bat in the top of the sixth inning.  The contest is scheduled for nine innings.

 

Regardless of when Monday’s second game is completed, it will mark the end of the 2005 regular season for the Brown and White.  For the fourth straight season, the Mountain Hawks have qualified for the Patriot League postseason tournament.  This year, the playoffs will take place at Doubleday Field on Army’s campus at West Point.  The top three teams in the league standings qualify for the event, which gets underway on May 14 at Army.