Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks clinch post-season berth
9/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh clinched its first Patriot League tournament berth since 1996 as the Mountain Hawks swept a doubleheader from arch-rival Lafayette in dramatic fashion at Goodman Field on Saturday afternoon. Lehigh won the opener 2-0 behind the arm of senior ace Dave Cerminaro, and rallied to take game two by a 6-5 score in ten innings. The pair of wins improves Lehigh’s record to 26-19-1 overall and 11-7 in the Patriot League, while the losses drop Lafayette to 23-19 overall, and 12-6 in league play.
Needing at least two wins in the four game series to get into the post-season tournament, Lehigh looked to its ace to get things started in game one. Cerminaro shrugged off the pressure and excelled as Lehigh won the critical series opener by a two-nothing count. The senior pitched a complete game shutout, scattering four hits over seven innings. He recorded six strikeouts, while walking two. The victory improves Cerminaro’s record to 8-3 on the season (4-1 in league starts), and in the process, establishes a new Lehigh record for most victories in a season by a Mountain Hawk pitcher. Cerminaro also earned his 19th career win at Lehigh, which ranks second all-time.
Offensively, the Mountain Hawks got Cerminaro the only run he would need in the bottom half of the second, as Jeff Pietrak doubled home Jeremy Mack. Justin Pagan later singled home Forrest Doane to add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Both Mack and third baseman Jesse Novalis collected two hits each in the win.
Lafayette built a seemingly-comfortable 5-1 lead in the fifth inning of the second game before the Mountain Hawks began their rally. Trailing by four in the bottom of the fifth, pinch hitter Jeff Quiros belted a solo home run, his first of the season, to make the score 5-2. The Leopards maintained their three-run cushion into the bottom of the seventh inning, before Lehigh rallied to tie the score. After Quiros and Justin Pagan walked, third baseman Jesse Novalis smacked a two out, game-tying three-run homer, sending the game into extra innings. The Novalis home run was his tenth of the season, tying a Lehigh record for most home runs in a season.
The game remained tied into the tenth inning, before the Mountain Hawks pulled it out. Novalis started the rally with a bunt single. After an infield hit and a hit batsman loaded the bases, Jeff Baker stepped to the plate and delivered a one-out hit into the outfield that scored Novalis from third and gave Lehigh the win. Freshman Ryan Dodds pitched the final two and two-thirds innings to pick up his second victory of the season.
Lehigh and Lafayette wrap up the four game series with a doubleheader at Goodman Field at noon on Sunday. The Leopards must win both games to earn the right to host the league tournament, which begins May 11. Otherwise, Lehigh and Lafayette will both travel to Annapolis next weekend as Navy would host the championships.
Game One
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
Lafayette | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Lehigh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 2 | 7 | 1 |
WP – Dave Cerminaro, Lehigh (8-3)
LP – James Duer, Lafayette (2-4)
LOB – Lafayette 6, Lehigh 5
Game Two
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
Lafayette | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
Lehigh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
WP – Ryan Dodds, Lehigh (2-1)
LP – Donald Smith, Lafayette (1-2)
LOB – Lafayette 9, Lehigh 9
HR – Lafayette: Vince D’Angelis; Lehigh: Jesse Novalis (10), Jeff Quiros (1)
For more information, contact Jeff Tourial, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.
