Lehigh splits first two at Rebel Spring Games

Tuesday, March 6

Kissimmee, Fla.

11:00 AM

Lehigh University

Western Carolina

Lehigh splits first two at Rebel Spring Games

3/6/2007 6:30:00 PM | Football

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Lehigh opened play at the Rebel Spring Games by splitting a pair of games on Tuesday afternoon. The Mountain Hawks capitalized on a seventh-inning illegal pitch to defeat Western Carolina 1-0 in the opener, before falling to Detroit in the nightcap 13-2 in six innings. The Brown and White now stand at 3-8 on the season with six more games remaining in the Florida trip.

Game one was a pitchers dual between Lehigh sophomore Lisa Sweeney and the Catamounts’ Lauren Ross that kept the game scoreless through the first six innings. In the top of the seventh, senior Heather Hamasaki singled to start the inning. Pinch runner Amy Piccinich was sacrificed to second and moved to third on a passed ball. An illegal pitch from Ross allowed the Lehigh freshman to score the game’s only run.

Western Carolina (4-10) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Sweeney fanned Danielle Reese to end the game. Sweeney improved to 2-3 on the season, and picked up her second shutout as well.

The Mountain Hawks hung tough through five innings against Detroit (1-4) trailing 2-1 before the Titans exploded for 11 runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Senior Stefanie Forlenza started in the circle, allowing two runs in four innings. Freshman Tiffany Curtis relieved Forlenza in the fifth, and ran into trouble an inning later, as the Titans scored 11 runs on seven hits in the frame. Forlenza was saddled with the loss in her first decision of the season.

Offensively, senior Julie Sterrett belted her first home run of the season over the right field fence in the fourth inning. Lehigh’s other run came in the sixth, as Sterrett scored on a double by freshman Piccinich. Sterrett and Piccinich combined for four of the Mountain Hawks five hits against Detroit.

The Mountain Hawks will continue play at the Rebel Spring Games on Wednesday, with games against Georgetown at 9:00 am and Sacred Heart at 11:00 am.