Lehigh University Athletics
Bullpen rests as Lehigh takes two at Penn
9/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Philadelphia, PA – Lehigh senior hurlers Dave Cerminaro and Brian Andalman each pitched complete games, as the Mountain Hawks swept a doubleheader at Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon. Lehigh took the opener by a 13-4 score, and rallied for a 6-3 win in the nightcap. Lehigh now stands at 12-6-1 on the season, as the Mountain Hawks have won seven games in a row. The losses spoil the Quakers’ home opener, and drop Penn’s record to 3-10 on the season. The Quakers have now lost six consecutive games.
Prior to the start of game one, the Mountain Hawks and Quakers were forced to stand around while grounds crew members dried the field, which was drenched by wet weather on Thursday. The first pitch – scheduled for 12:00 – actually came at 1:05. Lehigh was paced offensively by left fielder Jeff Pietrak. The senior was 4-for-5 at the plate, smashing a grand slam as part of a five-run fifth for Lehigh. Pietrak also doubled home two runs in the first, and finished with a game-high 7 RBIs. Catcher Matt Yarnold also smacked two hits and scored a run in the win.
Sophomore second baseman Eric Hoffman kept his hitting streak alive, by blasting a solo home run – the first of his career – to left field in the top of the seventh.
On the mound, Cerminaro (4-1) seemed unaffected by the late start, and was dominant. In the complete game, he scattered eight hits and two earned runs, walking only one and striking out six.
In the second game, Lehigh used a late rally to beat both the Quakers and the sunset, coming from behind for a 6-3 win. First pitch in the second game came shortly after 4:00, and the race against daylight was on. The Quakers built a 3-1 lead heading into the fifth inning. Lehigh second baseman Eric Hoffman singled to start the frame, and later scored on a wild pitch. Hoffman finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate, good enough to extend his hitting streak to 24 games, dating back to last season.
Down by a run heading into the sixth, Lehigh put together a four-run rally, to grab a 6-3 lead, and ultimately, the two-game sweep. The Mountain Hawks took advantage of erratic pitching from the Quakers, who walked six Lehigh batters in the inning as darkness began to fall.
Brian Andalman (2-1) went the entire six innings for Lehigh to pick up the win. He retired 17 of the last 20 batters he faced, and recorded four strikeouts in the win.
The Mountain Hawks – off to their best start since the 1984 ECC Championship team – will look for their eighth straight win on Wednesday, when Lehigh heads back to Philadelphia to take on Temple in the Liberty Bell Classic, held at Veterans Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 from the Vet, and all the action can be heard live on the Lehigh web site at www.lehigh.edu.
Game One
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
Lehigh | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 1 |
Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
WP – Dave Cerminaro (4-1)
LP – Ben Krantz (0-2)
HR – Lehigh: Eric Hoffman (1), Jeff Pietrak (1); Penn: Nick Italiano (1)
Game Two
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
Lehigh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
Pennsylvania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
WP – Brian Andalman (2-1)
LP – Mark Lacerenza (1-2)
For more information, contact Jeff Tourial, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.
