Sunday, March 31
Easton, Pa.
12:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
5
at
10
Lafayette
Mountain Hawks split Sunday PL doubleheader at Lafayette
4/1/2013 1:28:00 AM | Baseball
EASTON, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team fell to Lafayette 10-5 in game one of its second Patriot League doubleheader before shutting out the Leopards 8-0 in game two Sunday. The second game of the twinbill was called after eight innings due to rain at Kamine Stadium. Both teams are 2-2 to open their Patriot League seasons. Lehigh improves to 13-12 overall, while Lafayette is 5-21.
Lehigh put up two runs in the first inning of game one after senior Casey Turner had an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Tyler Brong. The Leopards had a similar turn at bat in the bottom of the frame, getting runs on a single by Kevin Casey and a sacrifice fly to left field from Parker Hills. Brad Hopek and Andrew Santomauro smacked triples off sophomore Nick Stephens in the second, and both Lafayette players came home on throwing errors to give the Leopards a 4-2 lead. A three-run fourth put Lafayette up 8-2, but the Mountain Hawks clawed their way back with RBI hits from freshman Mike Garzillo and sophomore John Elson to make the score 8-5 midway through the sixth inning. Sophomore Rene Tato came in to pitch the bottom of the inning in relief of freshman Kevin Long and surrendered two runs. Campbell Lipe scored on a Hills double and Thomas Dunleavy roped an RBI single through the left side.
Sophomores Justin Pacchioli and John Elson had a pair of hits for the Mountain Hawks. The team had five different players drive in all of its runs, but committed four errors in the contest. Dunleavy ended the game 3-for-4 and Hills had a team-high three RBI. Santomauro scored three runs for Lafayette and went 2-for-3 at the plate. Lafayette reliever Mitch Leeds earned a save for the second consecutive game, while Michael Massa picked up the win after allowing four hits and striking out five in 4.1 innings pitched. Long took the loss for Lehigh.
Junior starter Mike Burke and senior reliever Tom O'Malley combined for a four-hit, eight inning shutout in game two, with Burke earning his second win of the season. Lehigh gave Burke four first inning runs after Turner, Abeln and Elson got RBI hits. Sophomore Tim McKay also had a sacrifice bunt that scored a run. The Leopards threatened to score in the fourth inning with Lehigh up 4-0. After Casey hit a leadoff single, Burke faced runners on first and third with one out but picked off Lipe at first and struck out Dunleavy to get out of the jam.
“We had our backs up against the wall a little bit and we were able to respond defensively and play ahead for the entire game,” Lehigh head coach Sean Leary said.
The Mountain Hawks added insurance in the final inning when McKay and Elson picked up their second RBI of the game and Abeln hit a single through the right side to score Turner.
Burke faced 24 batters, striking out three and giving up three hits in six innings on the mound. O'Malley fanned three Leopards in his two innings of relief. Schwartz was tagged for the loss after giving up four hits and four earned runs in three innings pitched. Turner and Elson went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Brown and White, with Elson picking up two RBI. Lipe was Lafayette's most productive hitter, going 1-for-2.
“We definitely continue to show resolve, but at the same time our guys know we have some more work to do to get ready for our next opponent,” Leary said.
The Mountain Hawks will face off against Saint Joseph's in round two of the Liberty Bell Classic on Tuesday before hosting Drew at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on Goodman Campus.
Baseball vs. Coppin State
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Penn
Wednesday, March 19
Baseball vs. UAlbany
Sunday, March 16
Season Preview Baseball
Thursday, February 13
