Lehigh University Athletics
Hoffman grabs top spot in record book
9/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Philadelphia, PA – Lehigh second baseman Eric Hoffman established a new Patriot League record by extending his hitting streak to 28 consecutive games, but it wasn’t enough as Villanova (15-11) handed Lehigh (12-10-1) its fourth straight loss, by an 8-4 score on Tuesday afternoon. Hoffman’s seventh inning single to center field pushed his hitting streak to 28, dating back to last season, eclipsing the old mark of 27 games in a row, set by Bucknell’s Kevin Silverman in 1995. The sophomore continues to lead the Mountain Hawks, boasting a .425 batting average.
After Lehigh picked up a run in the top of the first, the Wildcats responded with three in their first turn at the plate, to build a quick 3-1 lead. The game remained 3-1 in favor of Villanova into the sixth inning, when the Mountain Hawks responded with three runs of their own. With one out and nobody on base, third baseman Jesse Novalis corked a solo home run (his fourth of the season) to left field, cutting the ‘Nova lead to one, at 3-2. The very next batter, first baseman Jeff Pietrak, hit a long ball to center field – his third homer of the season – to tie the game at 3-3. Later in the inning, a Matt Yarnold groundout plated Jeremy Mack to give the Mountain Hawks a 4-3 edge.
Lehigh was able to cling to the one-run lead until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Villanova scored five times on five hits to surge ahead to an 8-4 lead, and ultimately, the 8-4 victory. Matt Nusinov (0-1) pitched the final two innings for Lehigh, allowing five runs. He was tagged with the loss, his first of the season. Freshman Adam Marr pitched six excellent innings of relief for Lehigh, allowing no runs while scattering two hits.
The Mountain Hawks look to stop their slide on Wednesday, when Lehigh hosts La Salle. Game time is set for 3:30 from Lehigh’s Goodman Field in Bethlehem. Earlier this season, the Explorers defeated the Mountain Hawks, 9-7 in Philadelphia.
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
Lehigh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 2 |
Villanova | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | x | 8 | 7 | 3 |
WP – Adrian Schau, VU (2-0)
LP – Matt Nusinov, Lehigh (0-1)
SV – James Russell, VU (8)
HR – Lehigh: Jesse Novalis (4), Jeff Pietrak (3)
For more information, contact Jeff Tourial, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.
