Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh to play midweek matchups against Saint Joseph’s and Drew
4/1/2013 7:56:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team will take a break from Patriot League play when it faces Saint Joseph's in the second round of Liberty Bell Classic on Tuesday and hosts Drew on Wednesday. Tuesday's game begins at 3 p.m., while first pitch for Wednesday's contest is 3:30 p.m. on the Goodman Campus.
The Mountain Hawks (13-12) opened their Patriot League season by splitting a four-game series at Lafayette Saturday and Sunday. Lehigh took game one 7-4 before falling 10-6 in game two Saturday. The Leopards took a 10-6 victory to open up Sunday's twinbill, but Lehigh picked up an 8-0 win in an eight-inning night cap.
Lehigh faces Saint Joseph's (12-14) after both teams suffered first round losses in the Liberty Bell Classic. The Brown and White fell to Temple 9-3, while Delaware handily beat Saint Joseph's 17-3.
Sophomore Justin Pacchioli continues to pace Lehigh's offense with a .355 batting average, .487 slugging percentage and six stolen bases. After a 4-for-4 performance in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Lafayette, junior Joe Abeln has raised his batting average to .323 and is tied with senior Casey Turner for second on the team with 16 RBI. Sophomore John Elson has taken the team RBI lead, posting 18 on the season so far. Junior Colin Gotzon leads Lehigh pitchers across most statistical categories after picking up his fourth win of the season Saturday. He has struck out 36 batters in 32.2 innings pitched and has a 3.03 ERA.Anthony Cirillo is first for Saint Joseph's with a .378 batting average, a .510 on-base percentage and five stolen bases in 26 games this year. He shares the team RBI lead with John Brue, as both players have 15. Kyle Mullen is the Hawks' top starter with a 4-3 record in seven appearances, 35 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.05. The team's top arm out of the bullpen is Jimmy Yacabonis, who has a 0.66 ERA and has struck out 22 batters in just 13.2 innings on the mound. Saint Joseph's has lost three of its last five, but is 8-2 at home.
Wednesday's matchup against Drew (6-11) will be a homecoming for Rangers head coach Brian Hirschberg, who was Lehigh's hitting coach from 2008 to 2011. Lehigh had back-to-back 20-win seasons and led the Patriot League in hitting one season during his tenure.
Al Krause and Matthew Kaplon are neck and neck for the Drew lead in batting average with marks of .343 and .340, respectively. Kaplon leads the Rangers with 21 total bases in 15 starts. Michael Bodden has stolen eight bases in nine attempts. From the pitching side, Pat Rock has a team-best 2.87 ERA and shares the team lead in wins with Alex Taylor, who has 15 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.
Drew plays at New Jersey City on Monday and will host Lehman on Tuesday before coming to Lehigh on Wednesday. The game will be only the fourth meeting between Drew and Lehigh and the first since 1945. Lehigh has won two of the three previous meetings. The Mountain Hawks also own a 13-11-2 advantage against Saint Joseph's after picking up a 6-3 win last season on Smithson Field.
Following their weekday contests, the Brown and White will host the defending Patriot League champion Army Black Knights in doubleheaders beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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