BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the second straight year Lehigh and Lafayette meet in the finals of the Liberty Bell Classic at Citzens Bank Park on Tuesday. To reach this game, the Mountain Hawks defeated Villanova 3-2 in the first round, behind a great pitching performance from Rob Russell. The sophomore struck out six and gave up just one run in six innings of work. Freshman Kevin Mihalik pitched the final three innings to pick up his first career save.
In the second round against Temple, the offenses stole the show, as the teams combined for 32 runs and 30 hits in a 17-15 win for Lehigh. Three different Lehigh players had three RBI in the game, led by Liam O’Connor, who was four-for-five at the plate, and hit his first career homerun.
The Leopards advanced to their third straight finals appearance with two close victories in the opening rounds. Lafayette defeated Penn 6-5 in the first round, capitalizing on five unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to secure the win.
In the semifinal game against Delaware, the Fightin’ Blue Hens led the game 4-2 after three and a half innings, but Lafayette scored seven straight runs to come away with the win.
In a series that dates back to 1885, Lafayette holds a 194-129 advantage, with three ties along the way. Since Patriot League play began in 1991, the Mountain Hawks are 35-31 in league games against the Leopards. These schools have met four times on a neutral site, with each team winning two games. Lafayette has taken the last two neutral site games, a 7-3 victory in last year’s Liberty Bell Classic finals, and a 7-6 win in the 2004 Patriot League Tournament. The Brown and White won the first meeting in the Liberty Bell Classic, a 12-11 victory in 2004.
This is the fourth time in the last five years the Mountain Hawks have made it to the Liberty Bell Classic championship game. Lehigh won its first-ever title in 2004, with a 11-3 win over Villanova, then lost to the Wildcats the next year, 9-5.
Tuesday’s game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. from Citzens Bank Park. Jeff Tourial will call the action on Lehighsports.com, with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports.
